Behind Closed Eyes
by carriebearxo
Summary: Follow Carlina Joihanson, a young daughter of two deceased military generals, who begins travelling with the Fullmetal Alchemist. Reviews appreciated! Rated 'M' for language, some scenes, and flashbacks.
1. 0: Prologue

**AN**: _The prologue is the only part of the story (other than the epilogue), that will be in 1__st__ person. The rest of the story will be in 3__rd__ person. The characters and concepts of FullMetal Alchemist belong to __Hiromu Arakawa. This story revolves around the first anime of FullMetal Alchemist, not the manga. Do not flame because of that small difference, I've read the manga and seen the real anime that follows it, but the first anime is what captured my heart about FMA, so this story is tribute. Enjoy the story – Carrie_

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If someone told you that everything you cherished would be ripped away from you, what would you do? Would you scream and cry, would you harm them? Would you shrug your shoulders and laugh at them, peg them for a psycho with nothing better to do than prey on other people who are happier than themselves?

Or, would you believe them?

I know, you don't even know my name but I'm acting like we have known each other for years. It must be strange for you. My name will come in time along with who I am, and how I ended up in my, shall I say, difficult position.

When I was eight years old, a band of Ishbalans passed through our hometown, Resembool. You don't know what either of those terms mean. Resembool was a small rural town, to put it simply, a place where your closest neighbor is ten minutes on foot and most of the families own farms or small businesses. An Ishbalan is a race, one that you do not know. This particular Ishbalan was a shaman, similar to the gypsies in some of the stories I've heard about fortune tellers.

She was old, and smelled of musty perfume and dried roses. My father was the one who convinced my mother to let me see the woman, who requested that she see me alone. Her skin was a dark tan, the only creases in her face were her laugh lines, and yet she oozed a presence so old and powerful that I knew I had to see her alone. Her name, she told me, was Belinda. She had a wonderful accent that rolled off her tongue like smooth honey. Despite her age, her hair was dark like the wings of a raven, a few streaks of silver blending into her short locks. She gently took my hand into both of hers, and told me to close my eyes.

Her hands traced the lines inside of my palm, her rougher skin rubbing smoothly against my soft skin. "Tell me child, are you Ishbalan," she asked slowly, making me shake my head. I heard her chuckle and mumble something about my light coffee complexion, then about my unusual hair and eye colorings. "Do you speak, child? Do you have a name," she asked, while I nodded before replying, "Everyone calls me Lina...My real name is Carlina." I suddenly felt my chest seize up, I was afraid of the woman who sat across from me.

The impending sense of danger crashed down upon me, but I sat still, heeding my father's word to trust an adult who does not seem to mean me harm. "You will grow up as a beautiful young woman, you will have a family who treasures you. You will lose everything you cherish, your love and your life. Through these losses, you will gain more than you ever thought was possible," she said softly, making me open my eyes and look into her deep red ones. She was staring at me intently, sending cold shivers down my spine and throughout my body.

All I could do was start laughing, it seemed so stupid that an old woman from a market would be able to tell me how my life would end up. As I turned and left her tent, I heard her body collapse on the floor. I never turned around, all I could imagine was her being too exhausted to ask for money, that maybe she had fallen asleep.

The next day, when my parents came home from work, they brought the news that the customer after me had found the old woman dead in her tent.

Whatever the woman had seen in my palm was so frightening, so gruesome, that it had killed her. Within the next year, I forgot what the woman had said to me. It was only once things would start going the way she had predicted, that I would finally remember her words.

This is my story; about my life, my love, and my loss. Through everything that I have been through, the one thing I remember every time I close my eyes, is his wonderful smile. Sit tight, and listen as I tell you, the things I have seen behind closed eyes.

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**AN**: ___Annnnnd so the story begins. The rest of the story from here is in third person. Thanks to my friend Larken, whose writings have inspired me to continue my own. Read her stories on her account Larkbyrd, and visit her youtube for excellent videos: SacridiaDarque_


	2. 1: Awakening

**AN**: _The characters and concepts of FullMetal Alchemist belong to Hiromu Arakawa. This story revolves around the first anime of FullMetal Alchemist, not the manga. Do not flame because of that small difference, I've read the manga and seen the real anime that follows it, but the first anime is what captured my heart about FMA, so this story is tribute. Enjoy the story. The lyrics below are from the song "Love The Way You Lie Part II" by Rihanna/Eminem, I do not own the lyircs to the song._ - Carrie.

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"_On the first page of our story, the future seems so bright;  
And this thing turned out so evil, I don't know why I'm still surprised.  
Even angels have their wicked schemes, and you take death to new extremes;  
But you'll always be my hero, even though you lost your mind. __Now this gravel in our voices, glass is shattered from the fight;  
In this tug of war, you'll always win, even when I'm right.  
Cause you feed me fables from your hand, with violet words and empty threats;_ _And it's sick that all these battles, are what keeps me satisfied._"

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The stars shone brightly on the hillside of Resembool, a cool November night that seemed the same as every autumn night before it. A blood curdling scream pierced the silence within the basement of a baby blue cottage, the girl who had screamed scrambling toward the phone sitting on a nearby end-table. Her movements were awkward and sluggish, her right arm clutching the stump of flesh and blood where her left one used to be. From the center of the basement, an indistinguishable mass moaned and shuddered inside of a chalk circle drawn on the floor. As the girl's breaths grew more ragged she stumbled and collapsed, beginning to crawl the second her body hit the frigid granite.

Her eyes were frantically looking behind her, tears starting to leak out past her long lashes and roll down her paling cheeks. "Oh g-go-god Jeremy...Je-Jesus...I-I swear, I'm gonna g-get us some help just, just **hold on**," she breathed, the other creature in the basement already still. Reaching the phone, the small preteen let go of her stump long enough to dial one lone number and cradle the phone against her shoulder.

Clutching the stump on her left side once more, the girl's heavy breathing caused her silvery blond hair to sway to and from her sweaty brow. Hearing the phone ring once, twice, three times, she was almost out of hope when a small voice answered her from the silence, "Hello?" Uncontrollable laughter spilled from the girl's lips, her tears falling faster in larger groups. "Win-Winry, you need to pi-pick up the phone more," she hiccuped, her eyes beginning to slip shut, "I'm in tr-trou-trouble, I got myself in deep here W-Winry...Send Granny _please_..." Her words died on her lips, the phone slipping from between her shoulder and ear as her head drooped forward. The receiver clattered to the floor, while her right hand loosened until it lost it's grip and slid down to the floor next to her, the bloody palm pointed toward the ceiling.

Within the hour, Winry and Pinako had transported the girl to their home. Winry's eyes widened as her friend was taken to the operating room, tugging on her Grandmother's sleeve frantically, " Wa-Wait Granny! We can't give her automail, we can't, not while she's so young and-and we can't ask her if she wants it because she's asleep!" Ignoring the ten year old girl next to her, Pinako continued to clean the area that used to be the other girl's left arm.

Finally, she sighed deeply and turned toward her distraught granddaughter. "Winry, her parents left specific instructions...If anything were to happen, anything at all that disabled Carlina and forced her to need automail, we were to give it to her. I know she's young, but that's exactly why the choice of automail shouldn't be hers. I was made her guardian after what happened, and I say she is going to get this automail," she spoke with a note of finality, leaving Winry speechless. A few more seconds passed before Winry went to the sink and scrubbed her hands with soap, putting on a smock and turning the water back on. Bringing a bowl and towels to the table, Winry mopped some sweat off of her friend's brow with a dry towel.

Almost a day later, Carlina's bright green eyes opened, searching the room for some familiar object to comfort herself. Upon seeing Winry, she smiled a little, but didn't say a word. Growing concerned, Winry walked over to her friend, asking her various questions about how she was feeling. Every time the other girl opened her mouth, however hard she tried, no sound would come out. Winry panicked, running through the house to find her Grandmother.

"Winry...Whatever happened to Carlina in that basement was surely a tragedy," Pinako patiently explained, having cleaned the mess and only telling Winry that something unfortunate had happened, "Which is why I'm not surprised that it seems as if she can't speak. Winry, whether it will only be for a few days or weeks, or even years, I can only be sure of one thing- Carlina's traumatic experience has left her mute. We can watch her, and encourage her to speak again, but only time will tell exactly how she will progress..." Winry looked back through the doorway, watching Carlina turn her head toward the window. The smaller girl stared longingly at the stars outside of the window, lifting her right arm up as if she could touch them.

She dropped her arm to her side again and moved the blankets aside, looking unsurprised to see the automail that had replaced her left arm. Carlina stared down at the gleaming metal in frustration, covering her eyes with her right hand as she leaned back against the pillows. Even in the dark, Winry could see the glimmering tears that trickled down her cheeks and unto the pillow.

* * *

**-Four Years Later-**

* * *

Everything was almost silent in the house that evening, only the sound of shuffling footsteps and dishes clinking together could be heard. The teenage girl swiftly rounded the table, collecting the dirty dishes and stacking them according to their purpose. Her light pink hair fell down to the sides of her waist, brushing against her arms as she moved. Winry entered the room, chuckling a bit as she watched her work. "Come on Carlina, I can do the dishes tonight, it's not like my washing is atrocious," she joked as the other girl turned, smiling and shaking her head a little. Winry walked behind her as she collected the dishes, taking small strands of her hair between her fingers and lightly braiding them.

"You know Lina, you should let your hair go au natural for a bit, let it be blond again, you know," she suggested, frowning at the sullen expression that crossed her friend's face when she did, "Alright, maybe that idea isn't too appealing to you...At least get a job so you can pay for the dye on your own, that stuff is expensive to make, and you have to do it weekly." Carlina grinned broadly at this suggestion, crinkling her nose as Winry ruffled her hair.

A knock was heard at the door, causing Winry to habitually walk toward it. Carlina cut her off, placing the stack of dishes in her hands with a look that seemed to taunt her about her previous bantering. Winry stuck her tongue out at Carlina before prancing off to the kitchen, leaving the other girl wiping her hands on her apron at the door. Walking to the front door, Lina took a deep breath before opening it, smiling shyly at the boy and the suit of armor that stood on the front porch. She grabbed for the boy's right arm with her own, intending to lead him to to workshop where Winry was. When she only grabbed his sleeve she stiffened, looking uncomfortable and sheepish.

Carlina looked as though she finally understood the situation, knocking on the wall a few times to signal Winry to the door. "Carlina what-Oh, Ed, Al, it's you guys," Winry said, looking surprised and pleased at their guests. Glancing at Winry hopefully, Carlina began to back out of the hall toward the kitchen. "Oh no you don't young lady," Winry teased, grabbing Carlina by her shoulder and firmly standing her in front of their guests.

"Lina, these guys are Edward and Alphonse Elric, Al is the younger brother in the armor," Winry said, introducing the brothers to Carlina. "Nice to meet you Miss," Alphonse began, pausing as Winry finished for Carlina, "Joihanson...This is Carlina Joihanson." "Nice to meet you Miss Joihanson," Al said, sounding happy as Carlina looked back at Winry out of the corner of her eye. "No need for formalities Al, just call her Carlina or Lina," Winry said, blinking as Ed sighed impatiently. "So what, does this girl talk at all? I mean, I understand being shy, but there's a point where it becomes rude to not say anything at all...For godsakes, she hasn't even said a word to you Winry," Ed seethed, looking at Carlina expectantly.

Looking hurt at his statement, Carlina ripped herself from Winry's grasp and fled back into the kitchen. Beginning the water to wash the dishes, she could just make out bits and pieces from the conversation in the hall. "Ed, that was rude! How can you not remember what I said in the last letter I sent you," Winry's voice drifted through the walls, an annoyed sigh revealing that Ed had obviously only skimmed her last letter.

"Brother, Winry told us about this. Carlina has been living here for four years, and she's _mute_. You should go apologize to her, it's the right thing to do," Al chastised his brother, the sound of three pairs of steps reaching Carlina's ears. She tried to look more preoccupied with the dishes than she had been, turning only when she felt Winry's hand on her shoulder. "Lina...? Ed has something to say," she began, looking confused as Carlina took the few steps between them so she was standing directly in front of Ed. Before someone else could speak she had grabbed the silver chain from his pocket, a look of shock then horror blooming across her face as she saw the pocket watch in her hand.

Carlina stumbled back from Ed, tripping over her own feet and crashing to the floor. Winry reached for her, looking hurt as she scrambled away toward the far wall, away from everyone. "You shouldn't have brought that damn thing with you," Winry snapped at Ed, who looked confused and slightly insulted. "You know as well as I do that I can't just leave it at Central, and that's what she gets for going through a stranger's pockets! I mean, jesus Winry, what have you been teaching this girl," Ed snapped back, blinking up at Al as he stepped between them and put a hand on Ed's chest.

"Brother, Winry, you two can have this conversation later. Right now, you should be concerned about her reaction. I don't know why Ed's pocket watch triggered this in her...but whatever the reason is, it can't be anything good," Al said solemnly, everyone turning to find Carlina gripping the sides of her head with her hands. Her breathing was labored, coming out in short, quick bursts. Before Winry could take a step toward her friend, a hoarse sob erupted from Carlina. Winry rushed for the other girl, freezing at the sight of tears dripping down her cheeks. "Ca-Carlina...? Was it...Did you just...Make a sound..? Wha-What's wrong," Winry stammered, dumbfounded as more hoarse cries came from the girl against the wall.

Carlina began tearing at the sleeves of her dress, the long sleeves shredding like tissue paper under her nails. Small nicks and tears appeared in the skin of her right arm, while the tears in her left sleeve revealed the silver metal gleaming where her left arm should have been. Winry took another step toward her friend, stopping and inhaling sharply as Carlina looked up directly at her.

"W-Wi-Winry," Lina croaked, her voice raspy and constantly fading as she continued on, "He's a...A St-State Alchemist...Just like, oh go-god, just like mom and dad and...Is-Isa-Isabella, and Aimee, and Carlton and...Oh god...Win-Winry, where's...Where's Jeremy!" Her voice rose into a sharp scream on the last two words, the name collapsing the girl into a deep crying spell. Winry moved again, walking faster as Carlina passed out cold against the wall. "Carlina...Carlina...Carlina," Winry called, her voice growing more frantic each time she said the name, kneeling and beginning to shake her friend. "Ed, Al, go get Granny...God, tell her to hurry, it's an emergency," Winry said, fanning the other girl as the brothers turned heel and quickly left the room to find Pinako.

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**AN**: _And there you have it, chapter 1. I know it took a while to update, but from now on things should be updated more frequently._


	3. 2: A New Beginning

**AN**:_The characters and concepts of FullMetal Alchemist belong to Hiromu Arakawa. This story revolves around the first anime of FullMetal Alchemist, not the manga. Do not flame because of that small difference, I've read the manga and seen the real anime that follows it, but the first anime is what captured my heart about FMA, so this story is tribute. Enjoy the story._ - Carrie.

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**-_Past_-**

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_A tall, feminine guy with long, green hair advanced on the small, nine year old girl. "Can I eat her," the short, fat man asked. Drool dripped from the corner of his mouth, a finger the size of a sausage stuffed between his lips. An extremely curvacious, strikingly beautiful woman shook her head and sighed at the antics of her 'brother'. "No Gluttony, you've eaten enough today," she chastised, smirking at the small girl._

_Gluttony let out a whimper before sitting back on the floor, starting to suck on his finger. "What are we supposed to do with her, Envy? Anything specific," the woman asked the man with the green hair, her nails slowly starting to grow longer. "Leave her be, Lust, she's not worth it," Envy replied, cackling as the three figures jumped out the nearest window and into the night._

_The three strangers left the little girl kneeling there, with tears running down her tan cheeks. Ever so slowly, she stood up and made her way towards the center of the large ballroom. There were the dead, mangled bodies of her deceased parents. Her lively green eyes looked down into her mother's emotionless blue ones, and she fell apart. Falling to her knees, she clutched her mother's body in her arms, sobbing into her mother's neck._

_"Carlina," a weak voice asked, and the nine year old turned around. "Janet," she gasped, running over to her barely breathing younger cousin. Taking Janet up in her arms, Carlina ran all the way to the hospital. While she got her own wounds treated, she waited for a doctor to tell her how Janet was doing. After three hours a doctor came out and said, "We're sorry, we did the best we could." Carlina started to cry fresh tears and she asked, "Why did she die?" The doctor stood up, turning his back on the girl. "She died, because you didn't get her here in time. If she had been brought here ten minutes earlier, she would have lived," with that, the doctor went into a different room. Carlina ran out of the hospital, towards Resembool..._

* * *

_**-**_**_Present_-**

* * *

Carlina jolted awake, breathing heavily as she put her right palm against her cheek. The dried tear streaks proved that she had been remembering the whole thing. Taking a few moments to steady herself, she swung her feet off the bed and gave herself some more time to recover.

Her head was throbbing angrily, every movement causing the room to spin and blur around her. Lina staggered to her feet, feeling sick in the pit of her stomach. She was wondering why she felt so nauseous, when a memory of the previous night's events returned to her. Turning, she saw outside the window that things had changed, and it was the next day. Carlina realized she had spoken the night before, her eyes going wide as she looked at the floorboards. "Did I...Really speak," she experimented, her voice less raspy and shaky then it had been before. She touched a shocked hand to her lips, a small smile growing as she realized it was true.

The smile on her face grew larger as she crossed the room to her wardrobe, looking for fresh clothes to throw on. She threw on a black tube top similar to the one Winry was always wearing, finding no reason to hide her automail from their visitors after the last night. Tossing on a yellow pair of cargo pants, she twirled her hair on top of her head in a large bun. Brushing a few stray strands behind her ears, she left the room and silently descended the stairs.

She reached the doorway to the living room, finding Winry already asleep and Edward beginning to doze off. Turning to leave so she wouldn't disturb the older brother, she froze as she heard the sound of armor moving from the living room. Looking back over her shoulder, she sighed in relief as Al got up from the chair he had been sitting in. Carlina put a finger to her lips to silence the younger brother, wincing as he said, "Brother, Winry, she's awake." Lina slipped against the door frame, pressing her back to the wall and closing her eyes as she heard the other occupants stir from within. "Al, what do you mean," Winry asked, stifling a yawn behind her hand.

"She hid on the other side of the door frame! She was standing there a second ago," Al said, Carlina stiffening up where she was. A heavy set of footsteps approached the door, her eyes widening as Ed stuck his head around the side of the door. Their faces were extremely close to each others, causing both teens to flush scarlet.

"I-I...Can I ge-get you anything," Carlina asked softly, backing away from Ed toward the kitchen. Ed opened his mouth to answer, interrupted as Winry bounded past him to tackle Carlina to the floor. To the surprise of both teenagers, the young woman was sobbing uncontrollably. Winry buried her face in Carlina's chest, the smaller girl wrapping her arms tentatively around her shoulders and rubbing her back. "Hey...Winry...Oh, please don't cry, you're making me feel bad," Carlina muttered into the blond girl's hair, a small frown appearing across her lips. This only made Winry cry harder, forcing Lina to stare up at the brothers helplessly.

"Carlina, I think she's just happy that you're speaking again," Ed said slowly, looking uncomfortable at watching Winry cry. Carlina nodded her head, propping herself up on her elbows and planting a kiss on Winry's forehead. "Come on, please stop crying. You're just gonna make me feel bad again," she said, smiling down at her friend.

This seemed to cheer Winry up, as she dried her eyes and hugged Carlina tightly around her waist. Ruffling her hair, Carlina sat up and pulled Winry off the floor with her. "I'm gonna get Winry some tea, you guys come with us...I'll make something for you too," she said, smiling warmly at the brothers as she steered her friend into the kitchen. The brothers shrugged and followed, all four finding Pinako sitting at the table sipping a mug of coffee. Pinako smiled as the teens walked into the room, her gaze fixated on Carlina.

"When Winry told me you were speaking again, I hardly believed it was true...And yet, hearing your voice again, it seems as if nothing has changed," she said, causing a large smile to blossom across Carlina's cheeks. "You know Pinako, something Winry said set off a spark in my last night, before the Elric brothers had arrived," Carlina spoke slowly, boiling the water for the tea and setting out four mugs.

"And what would that be," Pinako asked slowly, her eyebrow raising quizzically as Carlina smiled down at the floorboards. "She was lecturing me about my hair again, how expensive the dye is and how I should get a job to fund it...If I had still been a mute this morning, I wouldn't have considered getting a job, I mean, who would hire someone who can't even talk? But now that I've regained my voice, I've realized, I really do need to get a job. There are so many things I can do, since you've taught me so much while living under your roof," she explained, pouring the hot water in the mugs with the leaves.

Setting the mugs on the table in front of the three other teens, Carlina picked up her own and took a sip. "That sounds like a good idea Carlina, but I suspect there is a catch," Pinako asked, her voice trailing off as everyone turned to Carlina expectantly.

"Not really a catch, Auntie, just...It's a tough decision to make. I know so much about sales and money, and about repairs, that I could help the two of you run the shop. That was my first thought, but then I realized that I lack the experience and drive to make good automail," Carlina explained, looking at her automail arm as she continued, "I could always work for another business in the area, but then I would feel like I was betraying you because I was working for someone else...And then it hit me, the one thing I could do that wouldn't betray the two of you, the thing I could do ever since the day I was born. It was so perfect, this idea of mine, so vivid...Deep down in my soul, I know, it's something I was always destined to become."

Silence settled upon the room, being broken only when Winry asked, "But Carlina...What could that be...?" Taking a deep breath, Carlina looked up at the group sitting at the table, her eyes flashing wildly as she said, "I'm going to be a State Alchemist."

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**AN: **_Two Chapters in 24 hours! Is it a miracle! No, it's me making up for lost time _:3 -Carrie


	4. 3: Tension

**AN**:_The characters and concepts of FullMetal Alchemist belong to Hiromu Arakawa. This story revolves around the first anime of FullMetal Alchemist, not the manga. Do not flame because of that small difference, I've read the manga and seen the real anime that follows it, but the first anime is what captured my heart about FMA, so this story is tribute. Enjoy the story. The lyrics are from "Not Good Enough For Truth In Cliché" by Escape the Fate, I do not own the lyrics to the song._- Carrie.

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"_Hurtful words, from my enemies of the last five years._

_What's it like to die alone?_

_How does it feel when tears freeze, when you cry?_

_The blood in your veins is twenty below._

_Sitting in this room playing Russian roulette,_

_Finger on the trigger to my dear Juliet._

_Out from the window see her back drop silhouette,_

_This blood on my hands is something I cannot forget._"

* * *

"No."

Pinako took another sip of her coffee before resting the mug on the table, looking across the room at Carlina. The pinkette held her gaze unwaveringly, cupping her tea in both hands. They stayed like that for minutes, the brothers and Winry nervously glancing back and forth from one to the other. A few more minutes passed before disbelief crossed over Carlina's face, quickly replaced by anger as her hands tightened around the mug.

"You can't just tell me **no**, it's in my _blood_ to be an Alchemist," she hissed, gritting her teeth as Pinako shook her head. "I told you, no. You're not about to run off and join the military, you'll get yourself killed-" "-No, no. That's not the real issue, is it _Auntie_? Spit it out, admit it. You think that the second I perform alchemy _again_ I'm gonna have a breakdown and get someone else killed." The room was silent for a few moments as the elder Rockbell sipped her brew, still meeting the eyes of the feisty young girl. "If you must know, that's precisely my fear," earning a snarl as Carlina's shoulders began to tremble.

The Elrics looked as though they were still processing that the previously mute girl could even perform alchemy, eying her pink hair and wondering how she would harm someone else. Winry was visibly green, obviously wanting nothing to do with the conversation taking place.

"You can't tell me what to do," the girl exhaled, calming herself a bit but still trembling slightly. "On the contrary, dear, I am your Guardian. Legally, I can until you are old enough to leave me-" "-then fuck it, I'll run away," the calm was gone again and replaced with more anger then before. Winry gasped at the declaration and Pinako stood, the Elrics still flabbergasted. "You'll do no such thing," Pinako declared as Carlina shook more, a hand leaving the mug to run through her hair. Raking through the locks, she breathed through her teeth, chest heaving.

"Sit, finish your tea, we can find you another job-" Pinako was cut off as Carlina flung the mug against the wall, tea and ceramic exploding across the paint and hardwood.

"You _listen_ to me and you listen to me _now_. I am _not_ going to get another job and I _am_ going to become an Alchemist, even if it kills me-" "-young lady, we've already determined you-" "-**God can you just SHUT UP**." The room fell silent as Carlina chuckled to herself, running her fingers through her hair and shaking with laughter. "You couldn't stop me if you tried, God, I can _speak_ now. I'm not your treasure anymore, I'm **free**. _You_ can't tell the officers '_she just wandered from the garden and she gets lost frequently_' because now _I_ can tell them I want to go to Central and they can take me," she was cut off by Pinako clearing her throat, looking into her eyes.

"You've been through a lot, and I know your voice is a shock. It must feel good to shout for the first time in years, to speak. Let me know when you're done and I can start dinner; we'll forget this silly Alchemist business and find you a different job," she spoke slowly, smiling at the girl as Carlina stiffened and a sweet smile spread across her lips.

"Of _course_ Auntie. Let me just wash up," she trilled before leaving the room, the sound of the washroom door closing. Ed and Al released their baited breath, Winry looking as though she was on the verge of tears. "Now, now dear-" "-no! You shouldn't let her get away with that, even if she did just get her voice back," Winry protested, looking almost as livid as Carlina had minutes before. "She sure calmed down quickly," Al observed as Winry cleaned the tea cups, fetching a wet rag and pan to clean the mess at the foot of the wall. "Always been a temper in her, but she recovers quickly," Pinako chirped, Ed still sitting deep in thought.

"Ed," Winry called, snapping her fingers in front of his eyes. He jolted, realizing the three others in the room were staring. "I was just wondering…What did she mean it's in her _blood-_" he was cut short by the sound of feet scraping against wood, a thump, and then silence.

The group went to the washroom and opened the door, finding the window ajar and no sign of the teen girl. "Dammit Lina-" Winry was cut off as Pinako put a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head. "Don't. You know where she's headed, even though you can't remember how to get there." Ed and Al looked at Pinako until she relinquished, "Graveyard. Winry is horrible with the directions still." Exchanging a look, the brothers silently questioned if they should go and retrieve her. "Edward, you go. She'll hear Al from a mile away," Pinako advised, shoving him out the front door before he could protest and locking it. "Women," he muttered, jogging toward the cemetery.

Sweeping her arm through the flower field as she ran past, she closed her fist around some stems and pulled. Carlina grinned at the wide array of flowers in her hand, sniffing them as she continued sprinting toward the Graveyard. She vaulted over a headstone and cartwheeled over another, earning a disapproving glare from an old couple leaving a small white tombstone.

She stood still until they had left; walking to the grave they had been visiting and splitting her bouquet in half. "Hey….uh, let them know I'm sorry for that," she whispered laying half the flowers on top of the grave and thoughtfully running her hand over the stone. Shaking herself, she walked through the rows until she saw the site she was looking for. Kneeling in front of the grave, she placed the flowers and wrapped her arms around the body of the slender grave marker. "She tells me I can't become an Alchemist…you know what that means to me, don't you kid? I know, I was harsh but, God I want it so bad."

Tears rolled slowly down her cheeks as she closed her eyes, Ed leaning against the trunk of a tree to observe from a distance. He couldn't hear what she was saying but now she was chuckling, his eyebrow rising as a ginger teen made his way deliberately through the graves toward her.

"Been a while, hasn't it? Since you've heard my voice. I mean-" "-It has, you should sing." Carlina tensed, her arms dropping from around the grave and finally noticing the shadow behind her. She turned and felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her.

A gangly boy, a year younger than her, stood awkwardly in front of her. He had flaming red hair, crystal blue eyes and various freckles smattering his skin. Carlina slowly rose to her feet, the twelve year old's head only reaching the middle of her chest. Before she could ask questions he had his arms wrapped around her waist with his head buried in her chest. "I'm sorry Lina I didn't mean to make you cry that night," he wailed through his tears, Ed watching as Carlina stiffened but did not comfort the child. _The hell is going on here_, he thought, watching as she shook her head.

"Jeremy, what did you just call me," she spoke slowly, the small boy stiffening and raising his head. The blue eyes flashed violet for a second before he whimpered, "I'm sorry Big Sis, I didn't mean to make you lose your arm."

Wrapping her arms around the boy's shoulders, Carlina locked her arms together. The boy whipped his head up in time to see her smirk. "Hello Envy," she cackled, smashing him over her shoulder face-first into her brother's tombstone. The sin rapidly began melting into his real form, forcing Lina to jump back as Ed sprinted down the hill, his automail transmuted into a blade. Envy lunged for Carlina, grabbing her shoulders and flying back while convulsing. Ed's eyes widened as he looked at Carlina, seeing the sparks of electricity flying off her skin. He looked for her array gloves, the circle she had used, and felt his blood freeze when he saw nothing but her bare hands.

Envy stood and looked from one Alchemist to the other, shrugging his shoulders and looking faintly pissed off. "No matter, Lina. We'll have you someday soon." With that he disappeared, leaving Ed to stare at her closely.

"You didn't use a circle-" "Come on Ed, we're gonna be late for dinner." He only shook his head, mouth slightly agape as they jogged back to the Rockbell residence.

* * *

**AN**: _Hoping to update weekly or every other week through the summer, to make up for lost time. Hopefully some are still interest. Apologies for the long hiatus- a lot has happened_. – Carrie.


	5. 4: Decision

**AN**: _The characters and concepts of FullMetal Alchemist belong to Hiromu Arakawa. This story revolves around the first anime of FullMetal Alchemist, not the manga. Do not flame because of that small difference, I've read the manga and seen the real anime that follows it, but the first anime is what captured my heart about FMA, so this story is tribute. Enjoy the story. The lyrics are "Lost It All" by Avenged Sevenfold, I do not own the lyrics to the song._ -Carrie.

* * *

_"I ain't waiting for a miracle; I ain't waiting for the world to change._

_Under my skin lives the reason, under my armor I lost it all."_

* * *

Sporting some new wrench-shaped bruises on her human arm, Carlina was busy in the kitchen washing the mountain of dishes. Pinako and Winry had both taken to beating the girl despite her apologies. Worn out from the exercise, Pinako was upstairs already sleeping. Winry sat in the sitting room with Ed and Al, who were both thinking similar things. The silence broke when Winry shifted in her seat, running her fingers through her hair.

"Winry, I've got a question about Carlina." The blond girl looked up at Ed, a serious expression etched on his face. "Uh, sure Ed, shoot?" "Why can she do alchemy without using a circle?" The room was silent for a few more seconds before Winry began laughing, catching the brothers off guard.

"An alchemy question, Ed? Really? You know I don't specialize in that, it's not my field," her laughter died down upon seeing the expression both Elrics shared, "why do you ask?" "Well it's just, out in the cemetary, when Envy showed up-" "-wait brother, Envy was there-" "-guys who is Envy-" "-stop it," Al and Winry both stopped when they heard Ed's tone, sitting back with mouths firmly shut. "She transmuted without a circle, no gloves that had arrays on them, she didn't use chalk. I don't think she clapped- although I could be wrong. He went at her and she stood there, it was like he hit an invisible wall before flying back," Winry and Al looked even more confused at the description he gave.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, like I said, I don't really know anything about alchemy," Winry said, before the group descended into silence again. The sounds of splashing and moving could be heard from the kitchen as Ed rose and began pacing. "She said alchemy is in her blood, what did she mean by that?" "Most of Carlina's family have been State Alchemists, or at least practiced alchemy. It's a tradition for them to take their alchemy exams by age thirteen," Ed and Al both froze, their eyes wide with wonder. "You mean there are some families that practice alchemy, like, together?"

"I thought most families practiced that way," she asked, looking at Ed as he shook his head, "Not multiple generations, Winry. Most of the time you get parents and children but rarely full families!" "Oh...Well, they were a full family of alchemists. Her parents would hire tutors for the children as they grew up, they were to pass the exam by age thirteen, and then military service or individual research ensued-" "-children? Carlina has siblings?"

Ed and Al froze as Winry bit down on her bottom lip, wringing her hands together. "Had, she had siblings. Four of them, and a cousin that lived with them. Her brother Carlton was the oldest, an independent researcher. Two older sisters, twins, Aimee and Isabella who served in the military. Carlina was next, she wasn't sure what she was going to do when the time came, and everyone thought she was very advanced from what she's told me. Jeremy and Janet were her whole world, he was a year younger and she was five years younger. Her brother meant everything to her from the second he was born, and after Janet got orphaned and the family took her in, Carlina had a younger cousin to treat like a sister..."

Winry cleared her throat, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "But why isn't Carlina living with her parents? Does it have something to do with Jeremy's death? It sounds like everything is so good for her," Al froze at the expression on Winry's face, her eyes wide as she looked toward the kitchen.

"This conversation has been nice but I really don't think we should continue," she gushed as she rose and walked toward the kitchen. Ed grabbed the top of her arm as she reached the doorway, spinning her around and looking her directly in the eye. "Please Winry, we just want to know-" "-I'm not supposed to talk about it," she whispered, peeking around the corner to see Carlina still diligently scrubbing at the food stuck on the pans. Winry sighed and nodded her head, working her arm out of Ed's hand before walking back to the chair. Ed followed and they sat at the same time, the room growing silent again.

"She was ten. Her parents came back from another military campaign, although it was the first for her sisters. To celebrate the successful return, they were hosting a party at their mansion. All the family was there, from every corner of the world. These kind of parties weren't unusual," she began as the brothers leaned forward in their seats, eager to hear more.

"The party didn't go well though. Halfway through, three figures appeared and started killing whoever they could get their hands on. They kept being killed by alchemists but coming back, they were searching for Carlina's tutor but he wasn't in attendance. Carlina managed to escape for a few hours, coming back to the house to find the carnage waiting for her..everyone was dead. The people who had killed them stayed behind long enough to taunt her and disappear. When she looked closer, she realized Janet was still barely breathing," Winry's breath hitched and she shook her head, the Elrics looking down at the floor.

Taking a deep breath, she continued, "She ran for a while until she finally found a doctor. There was nothing that could be done, Janet ended up dying...her parents had served with mine in the war. In their wills, Auntie was given custody."

"Is that why she got the automail? Because of what happened at the party," Ed asked, his brow furrowing when Winry shook her head. "No, I don't know what happened to her arm exactly...she was missing for a few months and suddenly out of the blue, she called in the middle of the night. She told me she was in deep and she was sorry, and hung up. Next thing I knew Auntie was bringing her in and giving her automail. She told me that what Carlina did in that basement was terrible, and the only good was that Jeremy's remains could finally be put to rest...what's with the looks," she asked as the brothers looked at one another and then back at her.

"It sounds like what happened to us," Ed said, Winry putting a hand to her mouth as everyone was quiet again. It ended when someone cleared their throat from the doorway, all heads turning to see Carlina standing in the doorway with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Winry opened her mouth but closed it when Carlina raised her hand, "Don't, just...don't. I think you've said enough for a while." She turned her gaze to the brothers briefly but shook her head, turning and running upstairs. "I think I should go talk to her," Winry found with more awkward silence, sighing before burying her face in her hands, "Or, not...I'll just sit here, and hope this might all get better in the morning. Maybe by then, she'll stop being mad at me..."

* * *

The next morning, everyone but Carlina was sitting down at the table. Pinako glanced between Winry and the brothers, before she rose from the table and walked toward the door. She nearly ran into Carlina, who brushed some hair from her eyes before sitting down next to Ed, the furthest seat away from Winry.

Breakfast passed in silence for the most part until Pinako sighed and placed her mug back on the table. "So Carlina, did your mind change at all from yesterday about becoming an alchemist," she got right to the point, everyone else flinching at the word 'alchemist'. Carlina looked down at the table for a few seconds before she lifted her head, an odd smile on her face. "Actually, I did. I mean, it's in my blood, and I'm a year overdue for the time I should have gone in for my exam, but some things do change," she said softly, Pinako smiling encouragingly, "but last night showed me something."

Carlina rose to her feet, her smile turning sweeter as she looked at Winry. "Risembool is too small for a girl like me, these last four years I've wasted my time and talents. I can't continue to sit around and do nothing when I come from a family like mine," Winry looked ashamed while everyone else looked shocked.

"So, you can bet your ass I'm going to Central with the brothers and taking my alchemy exam. I don't even know what I'm going to do once I complete it, but anything is better than sitting around here. You want me to pay for my hair? I'll find a way to do that. My 'best friend' can't keep my secrets to herself? Then I guess I'll keep everything to myself. Who knows, after my exam, maybe I'll be assigned with the Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother? But tomorrow, I'm out of here," she finished with the same sweet smile and left the room, as Winry burst into tears and everyone closed their open mouths.

* * *

**AN**: _I know it's a bit later than I expected to have it submitted, but another update, woo! Leave reviews please, it helps me to have some feedback, or submit to my inbox if you're a bit shy. Hope to have Chapter 5 up two weeks from now! Thanks for reading and glad to know it's still being read after all this time._ -Carrie.


	6. 5: Leaving

**AN**: _The __characters __and __concepts __of __FullMetal __Alchemist __belong __to __Hiromu __Arakawa__. __This __story __revolves __around __the __first __anime __of __FullMetal __Alchemist__, __not __the __manga__. __Do __not __flame __because __of __that __small __difference__, __I__'__ve __read __the __manga __and __seen __the __real __anime __that __follows __it__, __but __the __first __anime __is __what __captured __my __heart __about __FMA__, __so __this __story __is __tribute__. __Enjoy __the __story__. __The __lyrics __are__ "__It__'__s __Time__" __by __Imagine __Dragons__, __I __do __not __own __the __lyrics __to __the __song__. _-Carrie.

* * *

_"__It__'__s __time __to __begin__, __isn__'__t __it__? __I __get __a __little __bit __bigger__, __but __then __I__'__ll __admit__;_

_I__'__m __just __the __same __as __I __was__. __Now __don__'__t __you __understand__?_

_That __I__'__m __never __changing __who __I __am__."_

* * *

Ed watched the rolling green hills of his home town until they melted away into the next town, and the town that came after that one. He didn't look at the girl sitting across from him until they were nearly an hour from Resembool, too far for her to hop off the train and run back to the Rockbells'. The send off had been a tense one. Carlina stood in the doorway with her suitcase already packed, everything thrown in so quickly, it was obvious she had spent many years planning the journey.

A stiff hug was Pinako's parting gift when breakfast was over and she disappeared to fill an order for an old friend. A couple of hours had passed, she was still working in one of the back rooms. Winry was crying and kept trying to hide the other girl's suitcase. Ed and Al both knew it was probably hard for her to watch the other girl leave, but the intention behind her actions was lost. Instead of Carlina seeing how distraught her friend was and taking a moment to reconsider, the constant game to find her luggage left the departing girl more eager to leave.

The brothers both hugged Winry goodbye, while Carlina just shot her a glare and turned heel for the front gate. Now that they were comfortable on the train, Ed took a moment to actually look at the pinkette for the first time since leaving the Rockbell residence.

Her hair had faded a bit after washing it that morning, distinct blond tones were poking through. She wore boots like Ed's with yellow soles, a knee-length skirt and white gloves. The top she wore was similar to his own, but tailored for a girl. Every time she moved her right arm, the sleeve would hike up enough for faint white lines, visible on her human arm. Carlina moved and the sleeve rode up a little more, while Ed squinted and leaned forward in his seat. _Are those words_- his thoughts ended abruptly as his companion cleared her throat and pulled the sleeve back down her forearm.

"Something on your mind, Ed," she asked, shifting uncomfortably under his gaze. "Why did you do it, the taboo? You're from a super alchemist family, you should have known better." Carlina winced and shook her head, chuckling sadly under her breath, "Of course, you wouldn't understand how it is."

Ed started to chuckle, catching her off guard. "Actually, I know better than you think-" he got cut off as the train lurched to a stop, nearly sending Carlina flying into his lap. Al caught her before she landed, placing her on her feet on the compartment floor. She sprung to the window before either brother could react, yanking it open and sticking her head out. Gluttony stood by the door to the conductor's compartment, watching as Lust walked out with the conductor skewered on her nails. She retracted them and let his body collapse into the dirt, turning her violet eyes directly to the window Carlina leaned out of.

Carlina hoisted herself up and almost completely out the window before Ed grabbed her ankle. "What do you think you're doing," he hissed, trying to pull her back inside. "Going out. They're here for me, I don't want anyone else getting hurt." "How do you know-" Ed's question ended from the sound of footsteps, the two sins strolling up the side of the train.

"Dear, we need you to come with us," Lust crooned when she was within earshot, looking past the brothers at Carlina. "This is about my teacher, isn't it," Carlina asked Lust, kicking out of Ed's grip and landing on the ground. Clapping her palms against the side of the train, Carlina watched all the windows and doors slam closed, locked tight. "Yes Lina. We've been searching for him for some time. He never showed himself after your family died, we need a more personal bait." "What makes you think he would fall for your tricks?" "We're only guessing. If he doesn't, we still have other uses for you," Lust nodded toward Gluttony as drool began trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Inside the train, Ed clapped his palms against the window repeatedly, but the invisible locks would not release. The muffled voices of the brothers made the hairs on the back of Carlina's neck stand up, "You should know I'm not coming without a fight."

Her stance became lower to the ground, palms open and facing the two sins with a smirk on her face. "Of course, I expected no less," Lust spoke with a smirk of her own, watching the brothers frantically scramble in their compartment. "Brother what do we do, we have to help her! She can't fight them on her own," Al wailed, drawing a circle on the wall and sighing when his alchemy failed to unlock the window. "I think I've got an idea," Ed spoke slowly, standing on the seat and reaching his hands for the ceiling. He was a few inches short, growling and crouching on the floor instead. Clapping his hands against the floor, yellow light flashed and constructed a ladder connecting the ceiling to the floor.

Ed clambered up the ladder, pressing one of his palms against the ceiling. While the brothers were scrambling inside the train, Carlina had already begun the fight with the two sins. Lust brought her nails down on an arch and narrowly missed cutting open Carlina's leg. The girl slid to a stop, turning and punching Gluttony between the eyes as he snapped his jaws at her.

Gluttony came back with a closed fist, connecting with Carlina's stomach and sending her flying into the side of the train. She wheezed and clutched the place where he hit her, a small trickle of blood coming from the corner of her mouth. A blue light came from the top of the train, the sins looking with wide eyes while Carlina struggled to see straight up the side. Ed sat in a manned cannon mounted on the top of the train, smirking as he fired the first shot. The cannon ball clipped Gluttony's left arm, blowing it off. He staggered away as his arm regenerated, Carlina pressing her hand into the side of the train. She pulled her hand away, grasping the hilt of the sword she had transmuted.

Dodging under Lust's nails again, Carlina ran up behind Gluttony and cut through his head, watching as the fat sin collapsed. Lust shot her nails out again but they broke from another cannon ball fired by Ed. Gluttony's head started to regenerate, Carlina backing up toward the train while Lust moved toward her comrade.

"It's obvious we aren't taking you today, but we aren't through with you," Lust said, glaring at Ed before running off into the line of trees with Gluttony. Carlina took a deep breath, slouching and clutching her ribs with her right hand. She staggered over to the train, pressed her left palm against the side and heard the windows and doors all release their locks. Grasping the edge of the window with her left hand, she released her ribs long enough to pull herself into the compartment. Al immediately pulled her into a hug, shaking her back and forth, "What were you thinking, going out there alone? We were so worried, what were you going to do if they caught you!?"

Carlina started chuckling, "I didn't have a plan, so I guess it's a good thing I didn't get caught." Ed smacked her upside the head with his human hand, the three sharing sheepish grins that dropped off into silence. "What do the Homunculi want with your tutor," Ed asked, trailing off as he stared at her face. Al looked now too, both with mouths slightly ajar as she stood and backed toward the door.

"What's-" She cut herself off as her ribs pulsed again, wincing and wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. Her white glove shown a streak of red as she started chuckling nervously. "These are all questions for another time, we have to get the train running," she rushed over her words and ran toward the conductor's compartment with the brothers on her heels. "Carlina, wait," Ed finally caught up with her, grabbing her hand in his just as she reached the compartment. She jerked her hand out of his and jumped out the door, appearing a few seconds later with the body of the conductor on her back. She rolled it into the floor and climbed back in, somberly closing his eyes before looking over the train's controls.

"How do you expect to get this thing running again," he asked skeptically, looking over her shoulder at the controls. Al appeared in the doorway with the two suitcases in his hands, looking around the compartment. "With electricity, of course," Carlina trilled, clapping her hands together against the floor.

A few minutes passed before the train started to hum, pulling forward and beginning to speed toward Central. On the platform, Ed and Carlina fabricated a story to the military police about the train getting hijacked by some thugs who ran off into the woods. The family of the conductor tearfully claimed the body and thanked the two alchemists for not leaving it behind in the confusion. As soon as things were clear, Carlina pulled the Elrics through Central and straight to the military base. Ed flashed his watch to the guards as Carlina blew right past them, neither batting an eye that she showed no identification.

"I'm home, I'm finally home," she whispered, looking around the hall excitedly. "You've been here before," Al asked, receiving enthusiastic nodding in response. Carlina opened her mouth to respond but cut herself off, taking deep breaths through her nose.

Without another word she took off with the brothers on her heels, rounding the corner in the hall and nearly colliding with Jean Havoc. Instantly her demeanor changed, batting her eyelashes and looking at the Lieutenant innocently. "Sorry sir, the smell of cigarette smoke was just too appealing, it reminded me of someone I knew," she rambled on, the Elrics catching up and looking confused. Havoc looked confused as well, surveying her and asking, "Who would that be...?" A wide grin split Carlina's face as she looked him directly in the eyes, "My brother, your best friend, Mr. Carlton Joihanson."

The cigarette fell from Havoc's lips and he began coughing, his eyes wide as he looked at the girl. "Carlina," his exclamation, accompanied by wrapping his arms around her tightly and spinning her in a wide circle. "Hello Havoc, I'm home! Where's the rest of my family," she asked, her eyes twinkling as the older man continued to hug her.

* * *

**AN**: _And __with __that__, __our __girl __is __back __in __her __rightful __home__. __Obviously __she __knows __Havoc__, __and __the __next __chapter __will __continue __with __the __rest __of __her __extended __family __coming __into __play__. __Special __thanks __to __**Ed**__**'**__**s**__**.**__**Curious**__**.**__**Kitten **__for __the __review __on __the __last __chapter__! __Thanks __for __reading__, __I __hope __it __was __enjoyable__. __More __reviews __and __feedback __would __be __greatly __appreciated__! _-Carrie.


	7. 6: Homecoming

**AN**: _The __characters __and __concepts __of __FullMetal __Alchemist __belong __to __Hiromu __Arakawa__. __This __story __revolves __around __the __first __anime __of __FullMetal __Alchemist__, __not __the __manga__. __Do __not __flame __because __of __that __small __difference__, __I__'__ve __read __the __manga __and __seen __the __real __anime __that __follows __it__, __but __the __first __anime __is __what __captured __my __heart __about __FMA__, __so __this __story __is __tribute__. __Enjoy __the __story__. __The __lyrics __are__ "__This __Is __How __I __Disappear__" __by __My __Chemical __Romance__, __I __do __not __own __the __lyrics __to __the __song__._ -Carrie.

* * *

_"__To __un__-__explain __the __unforgivable__, __drain __all __the __blood__; __and __give __the __kids __a __show__._

_By __street light__, __this __dark __night__; __a __séance __down __below__._

_There__'__s __things __that __I __have __done__; __you __never__, __should __ever __know__!"_

* * *

Havoc squeezed Carlina tighter as she mentioned 'family', putting her down when he felt her wince. "What's wrong," he asked, beginning to panic when she clutched her ribs with her automail hand. Ed shook his head and grasped the top of her human arm, pulling her away from Havoc a little, "Come on, you got hit pretty hard in the stomach. I wouldn't be surprised if something got fractured or broken. You need medical attention." Carlina twisted her arm out of Ed's hand and backed away toward Havoc, "No Ed, I need to see the others. They've probably been worried sick."

She turned back toward Havoc, frowning when she noticed the concerned look on his face. "Broken? Hit? What happened to you? Were you rough-housing with Jeremy again," he joked, grabbing her automail wrist to pry her hand away from her side.

He froze when his hand locked around her wrist, pulling down the glove to show the automail underneath. Looking into her eyes, he backed away as they shimmered with tears. "Why are you a year late to come take your exam, and why hasn't Carlton contacted me in four years," Havoc asked slowly as Carlina rubbed her eyes against her sleeve. "It's- a long story...I would rather tell it all at once," she spoke carefully, the brothers staring at the floor somberly. Havoc nodded his head, readjusting the grip on her wrist to pull her behind him through the halls. The brothers followed them until they reached the doors to Mustang's office, turning around to leave for the reunion.

"You're both staying with me." They turned at the sound of Carlina's voice shaking, looking them both in the eye, "I need others who know the details. I can't...I can't recall it and not have someone to look at who isn't crying or shocked."

Al uneasily looked at Ed, who bit his lip before sighing and smiling lightly. "Well, then I suppose we're going to witness an overdue reunion today," he said, surprised as Carlina hugged him tightly around the neck. "Thanks guys, I need this," she said, blushing in unison with Ed before hastily separating herself from him. Havoc unceremoniously entered the office first, shielding Carlina behind him with the brothers walking beside him. Havoc stood with his back nearly against the wall, Carlina still hiding behind him. The brothers sat on one of the couches next to Fuery, with Falman and Breda lounging on the other one. Hawkeye stood next to Mustang, seated behind his desk.

"Ah Havoc, you brought the Elric brothers with you. I had no idea they were returning to Central so soon after leaving for Resembool," Mustang drawled, raising an eyebrow at Havoc's position against the wall, "why don't you take a seat with Breda and Falman?"

"Sir, I need you to call Lieutenant Hughes and Major Armstrong right away," Carlina heard Mustang chuckle and felt the tension rolling off of Havoc. "Right away, Mustang...he has something to show them," Ed spoke, Carlina imagining the surprised and probably confused look on Mustang's face. Shaking his head, Roy picked up the phone and mumbled something into it. Once he hung up, Falman and Breda started small talk to bridge the uncomfortable silence that descended upon the rest of the occupants. Hughes and Armstrong finally strolled in, closing and locking the door behind them at Havoc's suggestion.

"Alright Havoc, Hughes and Armstrong are here. What is so important you insisted I call them and have them report here immediately?" Havoc took a deep breath and stepped a few feet to his right, leaning against the wall next to Carlina.

The room was silent as all eyes stared at the girl, confused, before Hawkeye asked, "New girlfriend, Havoc?" Carlina took a deep breath before stepping away from the wall, her hand snapping to her forehead in a salute. "Carlina Joihanson reporting for duty, sir," she announced calmly, staring directly at Mustang. All mouths excluding the brothers' and Havoc's dropped open instantly. Riza dropped the paperwork in her arms, covering her mouth with her hand, while Roy slowly rose from his desk. Hughes and Armstrong were leaning on each other for support, while the three men on the couches were frozen in place. "Sir, I hope my extended leave and delayed return for my exam was not a problem," Carlina continued, dropping her arm and looking at the floor.

Kain was the first to regain his voice, leaping over the back of the couch and hugging Carlina tight against his chest. "Oh god, no one has heard from or seen any of your family in years...did Bella come with you? Is she waiting outside," the words poured out of his mouth, pulling away from Carlina and spinning toward the door. She grabbed him by the top of his arm, biting her bottom lip and looking at Al, "I need my suitcase.."

Al hastily brought her the luggage, Kain tilting his head as she stuck her human arm inside and began rummaging around. Her fingers brushed a chain and she pulled, a ring swinging on the chain as she pulled it out. The ring had three clear blue topaz hearts with diamond accents, the silver metal polished and gleaming. Fuery froze as his eyes rested on the ring, looking down at Carlina and starting to shake his head. "It took me months to save enough to buy that for her, she said she would never take it off...she hasn't found someone else, has she," he asked, choking up as he took the ring on the chain from her. "I wish it was that simple...Havoc, come here," she spoke as Kain took his seat again, fingering the ring and refusing to look at Carlina.

Her hand plunged into her suitcase again until her fingers brushed against leather, pulling out a worn journal and passing it to Havoc. "Is this what I think it is," Havoc asked slowly, going to open the front cover as Carlina closed it with her hand. "Don't look yet," she said softly, continuing to rummage in her suitcase.

The girl pulled out a bag from inside the suitcase before closing it, strolling over to Riza and Roy. Riza uncovered her mouth, holding her hand out with her palm up as Carlina pulled out a string of pearls and placed them in her hand. Roy took his seat with his elbows on the desk and his mouth against his entwined hands. Putting her hand into the bag again, Carlina pulled out another ring meant for a man, the remnants of a small red stone in the fixture. She rested it on the desk in front of him and walked up to Hughes, her hand already searching in the sack. Maes watched as she handed him a stack of photographs, starting to go through them once she moved unto Armstrong.

Carlina held out a metal cuff wide enough to fit over the Major's large upper arm, transmutation circles similar to the ones on his gauntlets engraved on the surface. Armstrong's eyes were wide as he turned the cuff over in his hands, as though it would break just from touching it.

Ed and Al continued to watch the spectacle in confusion as Carlina made her way toward Breda and Falman. She pulled a velvet sack out of the bag and tossed it to Breda, who immediately opened it. Inside was a set of chess pieces, half black onyx and the other carved from pure white marble. Turning one of the pieces over, his breath hitched in his throat upon seeing the name 'Aimee' carved into the bottom of it. As Breda continued to find the same name carved on each piece, Carlina plunged her hand into the sack and pulled out the last item.

She handed the Luger 908 and the box of ammo to Falman, who somberly began reading the message engraved on the side, "To my Uncle Falman, who taught me to shoot a pistol, albeit not too well. While I have my alchemy, you rely on weaponry. I hope this serves you well."

"When did Jeremy-" "He bought it for you before his ninth birthday. Father thought it was for him, until he read the engraving. He was so surprised, but you know...it's how Jeremy always was," Carlina spoke softly, looking down at the pistol lovingly. "Was? So, they're all dead," Mustang slowly questioned as Carlina nodded her head, the occupants who had received the items looking at what they held in their hands in dismay. Fuery began to cry and Al wrapped an arm around his shoulders, the brothers looking uncomfortably around the room at the possessions that they received.

"Kain, you hold Isabella's promise ring, the one you got her when she was almost fifteen. She had every intention to marry you, the ring does belong to you though...Carlton wrote detailed descriptions of all the places his research took him in that journal for you Havoc, he knew you would have loved to see them with him. He was going to head to Central after the party, it was in his things," she explained as Havoc opened the front cover.

"Jean, you'd love the places I've seen. There are pretty women all over the world, brother, you should have been here with me. I'll start the next journal once I deliver this to you, a few pages have some photographs tucked inside," he stopped, closing his mouth and sliding down the wall until he was sitting. "Mother always knew you wanted pearls Riza, those were her favorites and I know she would want you to have them. Father wrote in his will for you to receive his ring, Mustang, he said it showed the Hell you went through together," she continued, not catching the look Mustang shared with Hawkeye, Hughes and Armstrong.

"Hughes, my parents wanted you to have our family photos if none of the kids were eighteen, so they would stay safe in one place. You asked father to commission you an arm piece to amplify the power of your gauntlets, Major, that's the finished product," both men looked at Carlina when she said this, before their eyes dropped back down to their gifts.

"Aimee willed me her chess pieces for all the matches we played when she stopped by to visit Fuery with her sister, right? Jeremy obviously bought Falman the pistol as a sign of gratitude," Breda concluded before Carlina could speak, the girl nodding her head to confirm his suspicions. The room descended into silence as the trinkets were held by their new owners, Fuery finally calming down enough to break away from Al. Mustang cleared his throat, forcing all eyes on him, "So, you're the last Joihanson... Young lady, you're a year late for your state exam, and you neglected to tell your godmother and I that you were safe."

His voice rose until he was nearly shouting, rocketing to his feet and slamming his fist on the desk. Everyone jumped at the sound except for Carlina, who strode up to the desk and got in Mustang's face.

"I'm here now, and I'm ready to take that exam when you get me in," she spoke cooly, a smirk spreading across her face as he clenched his jaw. "You're cocky, just like your father. Riza and I were worried sick and you couldn't bother to give us a call," he drawled, his brow knit tight. "I'm sorry, after surviving the _slaughter_ of my entire family at the age of _ten_ I took shelter in the summer cottage. Oh, after I burned down the mansion, and all the bodies inside. Lets not forget that you and Riza are my godparents my father chose, the ones my mother chose are dead but their relatives have cared for me the last four years-" "-we would've taken perfectly good care of you-" "-and yet I _still_ would've ended up with fucking automail!"

At her outburst Carlina flung off the top part of her shirt, standing in a plain black spaghetti strap tank top. Everyone including the Elric brothers gasped, since it was the first time any of them were seeing the full automail arm.

It gleamed in the light filtering through the windows, a more slender and feminine design compared to the one Ed had. It was clear that it still held as much power as Edward's own arm did despite its sleeker design, obviously less beaten and worn than his as well. Most of the occupants' jaws had dropped, Roy looking at the arm in morbid curiosity and Ed looking at it with a green tint across his skin. "How did you-" "-it's taboo, I'm not allowed to speak about it," Carlina said, low enough for only Mustang, Riza, Hughes, and Armstrong to hear. Hughes and Riza exchanged startled glances while Armstrong met Roy's eyes in a stony glare.

Mustang's jaw clenched harder along with his trembling fists, looking down at the desk for a second before shaking his head and looking back up into Carlina's eyes.

"You want to take the State exam? Obviously you've got the guts for it, I'll call it in for you to begin the first part in the morning. If you pass, I'll speed it up and have you in the second part by lunch. I don't think you'll have any problems with the first two parts, so I'll expect to rush you into the third part right after dinner. I'll also expect to have a watch ordered and ready before sundown," he declared, the tension slowly beginning to diffuse from the room as he relaxed and his jaw unclenched to show a small smile. Carlina's frown dissolved into a grin and she threw herself across the desk to hug him, the remaining tension evaporating instantly.

Since the Elrics brought her to Central under their care, Mustang thought it best for Carlina to stay with the brothers in their room. After an hour debate, Carlina won the argument to sleep on the couch, to the great displeasure of both brothers.

At the end of the night, when the Elrics were heading for their room, Carlina stopped them by grabbing both their hands. "I just wanted to thank you both for being there, it really meant a lot to me," she chirped, kissing each on the cheek and sending them off to bed. The pinkette sunk down into the blanket and pillow donated from Ed's bed, drifting off to sleep surrounded by his smell. Al and Ed were up for another hour before Ed started to drift off, still feeling a small spot tingling on his cheek.

* * *

**AN**: _Carlina __is __finally __going __to __do __what __she __was __born __to __do__, __become __a __State __Alchemist__! __Seems __she __and __Ed __are __also __finding out __they __get __along __better __than __they __probably __hoped__ ;) __Special __thanks __to __**Hetaliacrazed**__**98 **__and __**Ed**__**'**__**s**__**.**__**Curious**__**.**__**Kitten **__for __the __reviews __on __the __last __chapter__! __Thanks __for __reading__, __I __hope __it __was __enjoyable__. __More __reviews __and __feedback __are __always __appreciated__! _-Carrie.


	8. 7: Ghosts

**AN**: _The characters and concepts of FullMetal Alchemist belong to Hiromu Arakawa. This story revolves around the first anime of FullMetal Alchemist, not the manga. Do not flame because of that small difference, I've read the manga and seen the real anime that follows it, but the first anime is what captured my heart about FMA, so this story is tribute. Enjoy the story. The lyrics are "The Good Left Undone" by Rise Against, I do not own the lyrics to the song._ - Carrie.

* * *

"_In fields where nothing grew but weeds, I found a flower at my feet._

_Bending there in my direction, I wrapped a hand around its stem._

_I pulled until the roots gave in, finding there what I'd been missing._"

* * *

The first light of dawn streamed through the curtain of the brothers' room in Central. Al heard the opening and closing of a door in the next room, hearing the same sound about a half an hour later. He knew Carlina must have taken a shower, blinking when he heard a door open and close for a third time. Staring out the window, the sun was barely full over the horizon. He strolled over to Ed's bed and tried shaking him awake, finally rolling him off the bed when nothing else worked.

"Mmm up. I'm up," Ed drawled, rubbing his eyes and looking around the still partly dark room in confusion, "something wrong, Al?" "I think Carlina left, but her exam doesn't start until later," Al trailed off, noticing how Ed quickly snapped into the real world.

"What are we waiting for, we've gotta follow her," Ed whispered, throwing his shirt, pants, and cloak on before quietly slipping out into the hall. The brothers had to move slower than usual, the littlest jostle causing Al's armor to rustle or Ed's leg automail to fall on the floors heavily. They reached the door leading outside in time to witness a flash of pink turning down a small side street. For twenty minutes the Elrics followed the bobbing head of pink hair through the back streets of Central, occasionally losing her and finding her again if they stopped and listened for the faint footsteps.

The alley the brothers were in opened up into what looked like an abandoned lot, a wall of a crumbling building showing a rusty door that was slowly closing behind someone. Crossing the lot, they paused on the other side of the door as they heard the sound of alchemy and sniffling.

Putting a finger to his lips, Ed gently pushed open the door of the abandoned building. The inside was once an old warehouse, varies materials for building still scattered against the walls and in the corners. In the center of the room stood Carlina, clad in her shorts and tank top from the night before. Upon closer inspection, they noticed a few tears streaming down her cheeks. Ed and Al followed her line of vision and flinched at the rows of transmuted dummies lined up in front of her. "Brother...are those her-" "-Yeah Al, looks like it...Looks like the Homunculi are there too," he mumbled, scanning the rows but not moving further into the room.

The first three dummies were exact replicas of Envy, Lust, and Gluttony. Envy stood leaning with a hand on his hip, the Lust one flexing her nails and smirking at Carlina. Gluttony stood with his mouth open, arms outstretched as if he could grab her at any moment.

The dummies that really caught the eyes of the Elrics' were the other eight lined up behind the Homunculi replicas. A couple stood frozen in an embrace, a large laugh curling up the mouth of the man while the woman looked up with him in adoration. The man's hair was flaming red, blue eyes twinkling while the woman had silvery blond hair and bright emerald eyes. Their gazes swept to the next figure, a young man with sandy blond hair and hazel eyes, cigarette hanging off his lips with a fist pumped in the air. Two twins stood with their hands clasped together, blue eyes like the first man and strawberry blond hair.

A teenage boy, a younger version of the first man, stood near the back of the line with his hands on the shoulders of a girl. The child had hair the color of snow and blood-red eyes, a sweet smile on her face and a hand outstretched as if she was asking someone to come play with her.

Ed and Al squinted at the eighth figure, dressed in familiar clothing with dark blond hair, but the face on this dummy was missing. The other seven figures, all related in some way, dressed in formal ball attire. The Elrics looked at one another with realization, Ed swallowing before he pointed with his finger, "Her father and mother...Carlton, Aimee, and Isabella...Jeremy and Janet….That last one looks familiar somehow, but I can't put my finger on it." "Yeah Ed, me either," Al spoke softly, sounding a little reminiscent.

"Something you wanna share, Al," Ed asked, concerned, cut off by Al covering his mouth. "Shhhh, she's doing something," he hissed, uncovering Ed's mouth and watching the pinkette who stood facing all the dummies.

The tears absorbed into her cheeks and only thin trails remained. Her normally emerald eyes darkened to a forest color while her fists clenched and shoulders began to shake, her head bowing. Suddenly, the Envy dummy turned its head toward her with a large grin plastered on its face. "Little Lina let her family die-" "-it's alright dearie, everyone fails every so often...just not most as bad as you," the Lust dummy joined in the taunting with the Envy one, the smirk twisting to unnatural proportions. "Good for tasty meat, a good appetizer to her brother," the Gluttony replica spat, its shoulders moving as if it was breathing heavily.

"Honey, your father and I understand. We told you to run, you ran, unlike your siblings and cousin who stayed to try fighting it," Stephanie Joihanson's replica crooned, the replica of Thomas laughing in her arms. "We always knew you would disappoint us," Carlton cackled, cut off by the twins chattering in unison, "You'd get blown up in the war, killed in the war, executed by the generals of the war. Look at the deserter."

"You promised you would play with me," Janet pouted, the fake eyes glassy but unable to cry. The dummy of Jeremy turned its head as if it was too ashamed to stare at Carlina any longer. A mouth popped into existence on the blank face of the eighth dummy, a distorted and unrecognizable voice pouring out, "I don't see how you're one of mine, honestly, my pupils are so much better than that. They know the value of staying to fight a battle." "How does it feel Lina, being such a miserable fuck-up," the Envy ended in a sing-song voice, twisting at the waist and twisting himself backwards to crane toward Carlina.

"Brother, what's going on," Al asked, Ed shaking his head in bewilderment, both frozen in the doorway of the building. Carlina snapped her head, a smile lighting up her features and all traces of the crying gone. "Feels pretty wonderful," she replied, her left foot kicking straight up and knocking the head off the Envy dummy. The dummies moved their upper bodies, attempting to avoid the blows, but Carlina mowed her way through them all. She ripped every dummy limb by limb, a massive pile on the floor at her feet as she was beating the last of the mystery dummy down with the leg from the dummy of Carlton.

The brothers looked at each other in confusion, whipping their heads back in alarm when they heard a choking sound. Carlina burst into tears and sunk to the floor among the parts of the dummies, hugging the head of the Jeremy replica to her chest as she curled into the fetal position.

Al turned to face Ed but found an empty space, looking into the room to see Ed quietly approaching the crying girl. He knelt next to her, looking uncomfortable but resolved as he reached a hand out to touch her shoulder. Carlina sat up with her one fist cocked back to strike a blow, freezing and dropping her arm when she saw who it was that followed her. "Everything alright," Ed asked, raising an eyebrow as she wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand and cleared her throat. "Fine, just….fine," she lied, her voice wavering as she looked down at the head of the Jeremy dummy that still sat in her lap.

Ed shrugged his red cloak off and draped it around her shoulders, causing her to look up as more tears streamed down her cheeks. Carlina leaned forward and buried her face in the shoulder of his shirt, sobbing wholeheartedly as he rubbed her back with his human hand. Al respectfully stood in the doorway, not wanting to interrupt the moment.

* * *

Once the pieces had been quickly transmuted back into the materials they started as, thrown with the rubble as the teens left the warehouse to head back to Central Headquarters. Silence descended upon them for the first half of the walk, before Al cleared his throat, "So, what was that?" Ed shot him a glare that could kill, Carlina clenching tighter unto the front of the cloak. "Stress release," she muttered, Al looking at her puzzledly. "How does transmuting replicas of the Homunculi, your family, and I assume your tutor, count as stress release," he asked, Carlina shaking her head and staring at the stone streets.

"You wouldn't understand...It's a lot of guilt that befalls you when someone you love dies. I know I couldn't have saved them all, if any, but it consumes your soul…Plus I let myself get hit by Gluttony in that fight yesterday, I was too slow," she explained slowly, as if each word was paining her.

Al looked thoughtful, Ed's eyes widening at his next few sentences, "That's how we felt when our mom died. She was sick, and we couldn't do anything for her. We even tried to bring her back, like you did for Jeremy." "Your armor is empty, isn't it, Alphonse," she asked, both brothers halting completely and refusing to look at one another. "How did you-" "-His footsteps don't sound as solid as someone in the armor would, Ed...He never eats anything, has never poked his head out, and I know he has never left the armor. It's your soul, isn't it? That's how you're here, right Al," she spoke softer than before, turning around to look at both the ashamed brothers.

Neither of the Elrics spoke for a few moments before Al nodded his head, Ed tensing up and changing the subject, "I don't see why it's such a big deal that the fat one landed a blow on you yesterday, it was only one hit after all." The trio resumed their walking as Carlina exhaled heavily.

"I come from an extremely competent line of alchemists and fighters, and I'm the last of my line. Failure isn't an option for me, I'll represent my teacher negatively," she explained, looking down at the road again. "Who is your teach-" "-can't tell you. I know, I can trust you two. I can't trust the walls, however, they have ears everywhere," Lina cut Ed's question off, the small group walking the last couple of minutes to their room in silence. When they reached the room she shrugged off his cloak and handed it back to him, guiding both brothers back into their room, "Go away, I've gotta get changed out of my pajamas!"

Ed and Al sat in the other room, both tensed and listening for the slightest cue of disturbance. A few minutes passed in silence before they heard heavy breathing, looking at one another before throwing open the door separating the rooms.

Carlina stood in micro black shorts, a black cami, a yellow long sleeve jacket that only reached her waist, and knee-high black boots. Her hair cascaded down her back and stopped at her hips, her gaze held intensely by something in her suitcase. The Elrics walked over slowly, peering over her shoulder into the case. Four State Alchemist pocket watches laid among the clothes, the lids open to show the names of the previous owners. Ed's heart sank as he read the names of her parents and two sisters, putting a hand on her shoulder as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. "You carry them with you, they would like that," Al encouraged, met with a small smile.

Closing her luggage, Lina rose to her feet and brushed her hair behind her ear, "I know. It's mixed feelings, I don't doubt I'll pass. Ever since that night, I pushed this out of my reach, convinced it would never happen. Now the time has come, and I just wish they could have been here."

Silence enveloped them until Carlina cleared her throat, giving each a hug before turning toward the door. "I appreciate it, guys. Really, I do. Who knows? Maybe once today is over, we'll be assigned together sometime? I would like that. Sorry for all the emotions, crying, and all the heavy stuff I bring to the table. Good news is, you're almost done dealing with me," she joked, looking at the floor as she made her way to the door. Before either brother could reply she ran out toward the first part of her exam, clearing all the disappointment and frustration from her mind to prepare for her trials.

* * *

**AN**: _Looks like our girl doesn't think she's the best thing for the brothers. Not sure, the way they interact with her, I feel like they're all learning some valuable lessons. Then again, I'm a little biased ;D Special thanks to __**kayleebaby13**__ and **Ed' .Kitten** __for the reviews on the last chapter (and __**kayleebaby13**__ gets another shout-out for reviewing another chapter and the previous one)! Thanks for reading, I hope it was enjoyable. I am really sorry for the delay, the start of this semester at school killed me. Updates are always posted on my profile so check regularly if a chapter is taking more than a couple of weeks to upload. More reviews and feedback are always appreciated! _-Carrie.


	9. 8: Examination

**AN**: _The characters and concepts of FullMetal Alchemist belong to Hiromu Arakawa. This story revolves around the first anime of FullMetal Alchemist, not the manga. Do not flame because of that small difference, I've read the manga and seen the real anime that follows it, but the first anime is what captured my heart about FMA, so this story is tribute. Enjoy the story. The lyrics are "This Means War" by Avenged Sevenfold, I do not own the lyrics to the song._ - Carrie.

* * *

"_No home to call my own, no finding someone new;_

_No one to break the fall, no one to see me through._

_No name to carry on, no promise for today;_

_No one to hear the call, no tattered flag to raise_."

* * *

By the time she reached the crowd waiting in front of the double doors, Carlina's doubt had reared its ugly head again. Two military personnel flanked the doors, waiting for the sign from within that the first part of the exam was to begin. She looked at the workers in blue before observing the others who had come to take the exam, sizing up her competition. One man stood almost seven feet tall with two large automail arms, another thin man sat in the corner with glasses on the bridge of his nose, reading from a book mumbling to himself. A pair of brunette twins brought an ache to her chest, turning away from their encouraging words to each other.

Through the crowd of people she swore she saw a young man with flaming hair and blue eyes, shaking her head violently to see nothing. "I'm losing it, I knew that mental workout was a bit much for me this morning," she hissed to herself, feeling a throbbing begin in her left temple. The throbbing pulsated through her head as the double doors slammed open, revealing a tall man with a clipboard.

"As you enter through the doors, you will give me your name and go ahead to take a seat among the rows of tables. Wait patiently for the beginning of the exam, any participants showing unruly behavior will fail and be escorted off the premises," Carlina shuddered as he mentioned failure, jumping a little as she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. "Prepared for the exam? That cold sweat of yours isn't very convincing," Roy joked, chuckling as she swatted him with her hands. "Very funny _grandpa_, I'll be fine. I've had training most of my life for this, I can't fail it now," she replied, an eyebrow raised as he pulled a long box from behind his back.

He held it out to her, jerking it out of her reach as she swiped for it, "Now, now. I'm not sure if an old fart like me can give proper gifts. Maybe I should just return this?" Mustang chuckled as she stuck her tongue out at him, ruffling her hair as he placed the box in her hands. "Good luck, we're all watching you," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder before walking past the crowd and into the exam room.

As the lid of the box lifted she exhaled sharply, hesitantly reaching for the object laid inside. It was a choker, black metal ringlets weaving a lace pattern. A set of bronze angel wings hung with a silver 'C' engraved where the two wings joined. Brushing her fingers across the aged metal, tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she realized this was an old present meant for her. The signs of the clasp being widened to allow for the years of growth were obvious, as she lifted the choker and secured it around her throat. Carlina fought back tears as she filed into line behind the large man with the automail arms, her emotions under control by the time she gave her name to the man with the clipboard. Sitting in the third row of tables, she looked straight ahead at the Führer and the two men on either of his sides.

She jumped a little as he used a gavel to bring the room to attention, the people standing hurried back to their seats as the Führer cleared his throat, "We'll now commence with the Preliminary Exam, good luck." The same man who had written the names on the clipboard stood to the side, and in an authoritative voice boomed, "Begin."

Time passed by quicker than she imagined it would, on the last page of her exam when the man announced there were only a few minutes left. Carlina skimmed the last page and put down the answers she thought sounded correct, laying her pencil down just as the man with the clipboard spoke, "Pencils down, everyone outside! We will check your exams and contact you if you make it to the interview phase." Letting out a sigh, she turned her test in and made her way out of the building. She bit down on her bottom lip and focused on the ground, nearly running into someone larger than her as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

Thinking she had almost run into the large man with the automail, she hopped back a step and stumbled as she looked up, "Oh God, I'm so sorry, I wasn't-" "-It's okay, how did the exam go," Al asked, as Ed caught her by the arm and steadied her on her feet. 'It...It was good, I guess. What are you guys doing here?"

Ed and Al looked at each other for a few seconds before turning back to her, both looking slightly hurt at her question. "Well, we wanted to see how you were doing. Honestly, you thought we were just gonna let you go that easily? You seem like you can handle yourself, and if you do pass the exam, it doesn't mean we don't want you around. We could always use another capable hand, and I mean, Winry would kill us if we just let you wander around alone from now on," Ed said slowly, his cheeks flushing as he rubbed the back of his head. Carlina blushed at his statement too, letting out a quiet _oh_ before looking back down at the ground.

"Who's hungry," Al asked, cutting the tension as both of their stomachs rumbled on cue. "I guess I could eat something, I never had breakfast," Carlina admitted sheepishly, linking arms with Ed on her left and Al on her right. "Good thinking, she's gonna need food if she plans on going through the exam," Ed teased, laughing as she stuck her tongue out at him.

Soon after, the Elrics got into an argument about where they should go to eat. Al insisted they take her to a nice restaurant to celebrate the exam she was taking, while Ed argued they couldn't afford those luxuries. "Guys? Maybe we should just go to the Mess Hall, that way I'm close if Mustang needs to find me? Besides, isn't a fancy meal the kind of thing used to celebrate passing the exam, not just one part? Plus you shouldn't spend that kind of money on me, ever," she interrupted the bickering brothers as her headache continued to worsen. They sheepishly agreed with her, compromising with each other while leading her to the military dining facility. The man at the front door didn't bat an eye at the short girl with the famous Elric brothers, who led her to the food and then to one of the long bench tables.

Al sat across the table from the other two, who proceeded to ravenously dig into their plates. "Uh...Shouldn't you two slow down before someone-" Before Al could finish his question, someone appeared behind Carlina and clapped her on the back, causing her to begin choking on her food. "Nice job on the written exam, small fry. You're up in half an hour for the second part," Mustang teased, as he dodged Carlina who had just regained her breath.

Roy pranced out of the dining hall, the girl sighed wearily and rested her head on her folded arms. "Is everything okay with you," Ed asked, raising an eyebrow at her place at the table. "Yeah, fine. Just not feeling too good today, a headache and my stomach is in knots," she lifted her head, looking at Al as he put a hand on top of her arms, "You'll be okay Carlina, it's probably just nerves. It seems like you know your stuff, and I think you can do it!" Her eyes watered as she grabbed his hand in both of hers, a grin spread across her face. "Thanks guys, I'll be seeing you later, I've got an exam to run to!"

Twenty minutes later, she arrived at another set of double doors lined with gold. Figures bathed in a pool of some sort, crossing what looked like olive branches. Before Carlina could get a closer look, one of the twin sisters from earlier burst out of the room ahead. Tears streamed down the girl's cheeks as she rushed down the hall, the double doors shutting on their own.

Grasping the door handles in her hands, she breathed deeply before pulling the doors toward her. A stream of light came into the room before the doors shut behind her. A light shone from overhead on what appeared was a transmutation circle, a gold chair with three legs angled close to one another and swirled back stood in the center. She could just make out a long table that the Führer sat behind, Roy standing in the shadows to the left of the table. Her eyes drifted back to the chair in the center of the room, her pupils widened as she pondered how the chair stayed balanced.

"Take a seat. Alchemy is the science of balance, if you have the gift; it will not refuse you. Go on Carlina. State Alchemists cannot be afraid," the Führer interrupted her thoughts as she swallowed the lump in her throat. Carlina nodded her head once before stepping forward, sitting in the chair with no problems with one leg crossed over the other.

"Very good," Führer Bradley praised with a small smile, before looking down at a sheet of paper, "Now tell me why you want to be an Alchemist for our Military." Carlina didn't miss a beat before her response poured out of her, "It runs in the family, sir. It goes deeper than that, I suppose. The Joihansons have been researchers, medics, teachers, all professions that improve with the use of alchemy. In the years before and since my family passed away, I had no idea what field I wanted to pursue, I still don't know. I do know that serving a higher purpose and accessing the materials at my fingertips will help me to look at the others who came before me, to find my niche in society."

"Excellent, consider the second part passed. Normally you would have to wait a couple of weeks to take your practical, but due to your scoring and the mystery surrounding your return without your family, there has been a lot of push to see you in the practical occurring later today. If you have no objections, we could slip you in. I'm curious to see how you do myself," he responded, chuckling as Carlina nodded her head in agreement to his terms, "Very well, we shall see you an hour before the sun begins to set."

Carlina grinned before she rose out of the chair, saluting to the panel before calmly walking out of the room. The large man with the automail arms was waiting on the other side, startled as she pumped her fist in the air while letting out a triumphant shout. She broke into a run down the hall, taking a corner too fast and colliding with the person on the other side. Ed groaned from his place below her on the floor, tangled together in a mess of red and yellow. "Where's the fire," Al teased, amused as he watched them fumble to untangle their jackets. "I did it! I passed the interview and the Führer says he wants to see my practical so they slipped me into this afternoon's exam," she gushed, letting out a surprised squeak as Al swept her off the floor and into a bear hug.

"That's wonderful news, it looks like Ed and I will be taking you out to dinner tonight," Al and Carlina laughed as Ed mumbled grudgingly, standing while brushing off his trench coat. "Any ideas on what you're going to do for the practical," Ed asked as Al put Carlina back on her feet. Rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, she scuffed her boots on the floor while looking down, "Actually, I haven't thought about it at all, I was hoping you could tell me what you did for your practical so I could get inspiration."

Ed looked at her for a few minutes as if he hoped she was joking, blinking a couple of times when he realized she was serious. "Carlina, I passed my practical because someone else did something potentially hazardous and I reacted quickly. You can't count on someone else making a mistake you can fix, they give a lot of materials to you though, I'm sure you can come up with something…" Her skin paled at every word he uttered before she was ghost white, shaking her head a few times before the gears in her head started to turn. "Shitfuck,Ihavetogettothelibrary," she breathed out as she ran past the brothers, leaving them confused in the middle of the hallway.

A couple of hours passed before Carlina found herself sprinting through the streets of Central on her way back from the public library. She knew there were a couple of minutes until the practical, scared she would be late. Through all the research she had done, nothing seemed plausible to showcase her talents to the Führer and judges. Her chest started to ache from her blistered pace, her headache worse than it had been that morning.

She made it to the large courtyard in time, her eyes sweeping across the various materials strewn throughout the small area in the center set aside for practicals. "Welcome to the practical skills exam. We've provided you with some nice raw materials for your alchemy. You may use them to create whatever you see fit," Führer Bradley spoke, a couple of the others who made it looking at one another for answers. A couple of alchemists transmuted, one after another, each one better than the next. A couple of ice statues, a car that didn't run, and finally a large stone reinforced wall. Carlina watched on nervously as the man who had read the book earlier stepped into the area.

A pit formed in her stomach as she watched him haul large rocks into the center of a transmutation circle before he clapped his hands and lowered them to the ground. A couple of turrets stood where the rocks had, one of the judges praising his work, "He used alchemy to generate heat through the stones to make them metal turrets. Useful on the battlefield."

They began to rotate around before shots could be heard, everyone diving to the ground to avoid being hit. "Stop them at once," the same judge commanded, shielding the Führer with his body. "I can't, this has never happened before," the man squeaked in reply, cowering under his arms on the ground. Carlina took a deep breath before she crawled quickly across the ground, taking shelter behind the immovable car. She rose to her feet, flinching as bullets ricocheted nearby. The girl observed the turrets, calculating and darting from behind the car to the wall when she knew there was enough time. Pressed against the stone, she threw herself to the ground and crawled to where the man laid by his turrets.

She clapped her hands together without drawing a circle, palms faced toward the turrets in the center of the area. The turrets glowed yellow, morphing into a hunk of metal twisted before becoming a statue of the Führer, the judges and other contestants standing and looking at the statue in awe. "I think we've found our girl, she's got a bravery that must run in the family," the Führer said, Mustang winking at her from over his shoulder.

The brothers waited anxiously outside the site of the practicals, both grinning at their friend dashed out from the group of disappointed contestants. "Guys, guys, I did it," she shouted as she ran toward them, freezing in place a few feet away from them. "Carlina," Ed asked, squinting his eyes at her as she whispered something he couldn't hear, "What was that?" "I said, I don't...feel good," she spoke a little louder, clutching her head as pain seared from temple to temple. The brothers reached her side as she began shaking, falling to her knees and biting her bottom lip. "Al, go get Mustang," Ed ordered at the same time Carlina passed out. He caught her in his arms, feeling the heat radiating from her body.

* * *

**AN**: _I'm sorry I'm such a horrible human being and this update took so long. I hope the length may make up for the time it took, hopefully the next one won't take nearly as long. On that note, what's going on with our favorite pink alchemist!? I may have made you wait a while for this, but I never promised rainbows and butterflies ;] Thanks to **Ed's Curious Kitten** (whose username keeps getting weird formats when I try to use it now)__ for reviewing the last chapter, you rock! Read and review, if you're shy about public reviews you can also message thoughts to me here. If you don't want your name in a shout out at the end of next chapter for reviewing, let me know and I will remember to keep you anonymous. Thanks for putting up with my hectic life and writer's block guys, have wonderful days and I hope you enjoyed! _-Carrie.


	10. 9: Reality

**AN**: _The characters and concepts of FullMetal Alchemist belong to Hiromu Arakawa. This story revolves around the first anime of FullMetal Alchemist, not the manga. Do not flame because of that small difference, I've read the manga and seen the real anime that follows it, but the first anime is what captured my heart about FMA, so this story is tribute. Enjoy the story. The lyrics are "Swimming Home" by Evanescence, I do not own the lyrics to the song._ - Carrie.

* * *

"_Way down, all the way down._

_I will hear your voice,_

_But I'll no longer understand._

_I'm sorry, nothing can hold me._

_I adore you still, but I hear them calling._

_And nothing can hold me._"

* * *

Fighting against her limbs was like swimming through molasses. Carlina struggled the best she could, twisting and turning violently against the weighted feeling on her chest. _What's going on_, _what is she doing_, a male voice cried out, distorted but familiar somehow. Her thrashing increased, panicked tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. Opening her eyes seemed impossible, the darkness clearing little by little the more she fought against the heaviness. Finally her eyes shot open, revealing bright fluorescent lighting that forced her to squeeze her eyes shut.

"She opened her eyes, oh god, she opened her eyes," the voice was less distorted now as she cautiously cracked her eyes open and turned her face toward the source. Carlton Joihanson sat in a plastic chair, shock etched across his features.

Carlina imagined her own face contorted in the same way, her older brother had grown a beard and seemed a lot more muscular since she had last seen him. She couldn't focus on his words, watching as he pulled a flat metallic device out of his pocket. He touched the glass screen with his finger before lifting it to his ear, starting to speak faster than she could listen. Carlton left toward the hall with the device still pressed to his ear, flagging down someone outside the room while continuing to speak. Her limbs still felt weighted down as she experimentally tried moving her automail arm up so she could see her hand. The shock washed over her like ice water, staring at the fully human hand in front of her.

She thought about flexing her fingers, and watched as the hand attached to her wrist followed her commands without delay. A needle stuck out of the back of this hand and she felt a little pain from it, seeing the bag hung on a stand that connected to the needle. Her right arm reached over the sheets, a weird device clamped around her index finger of that hand.

Blinking at all the machines she was unfamiliar with, Carlina touched her hands together and gasped as she felt skin rubbing against skin. Tears blurred her vision as she looked around the room, trying to find how she miraculously awoke to both hands still being attached. The room was not too large, the bed she was in jutted out from the wall, railings set up on either side. She noticed an odd feeling in her nose, pulling out a tube that had blown air through her nostrils. The color scheme of the room was beige except for the bright white ceiling. Carlina puzzled at the light fixtures above, wondering how they managed to make lightbulbs long and flat instead of round like she was familiar with. She took the device off her index finger, running her hand through her hair and watching it through her fingertips.

The amount of hair she had seemed greater than she remembered, swearing it was a couple of inches longer. She shifted on the bed and froze upon feeling something under her shirt, using her right hand to lift the collar of the strange gown out.

Stuck to her skin, below her left breast, was a white patch with a cord coming out of it. A few more patches stuck to either side of her collarbone, as well as the insides of both her wrists. She pulled lightly on the patch and winced as she found it stuck to her skin with an adhesive. Panic surged through her veins, increasing as she heard a weird beeping sound pick up pace. Looking to her left, she saw a screen with a line rising and falling rapidly. Watching the line calmed her down, causing her to tilt her head as the line's pace began to slow. Her temples throbbed from sensory overload, shutting her eyes and laying wearily against the pillows again.

Carlina's chest began to ache, causing her to cough and sit up on the bed. She covered her mouth with her hand as she coughed, curling forward into her knees. Her hand covered in small flecks of blood, her vision going hazy as she stared down at the sheets.

"Lina, are you okay," Carlton asked from the doorway, dropping the small device from earlier when he saw the blood. "Oh god, I need a nurse in here! My sister is coughing up blood," he shouted out into the hall as Carlina felt a sharp pain in her ribcage, as though someone was pushing out from inside her ribcage. Her vision doubled as she laid back against the pillows, her right hand clutching the ache in her ribs as she bit her bottom lip. Carlton dashed into the room and brushed her bangs aside from her face, wrapping his arms around her while kissing her forehead.

"You're gonna be okay Lina, everything will be fine, just don't leave us again. We just got you back," he cooed into her hair, his voice shaking. Carlina lifted her head and saw the tears streaming down his cheeks, removing her hand from her ribs to brush some of them off his cheek.

"I don't know what you're talking about, you're the ones who left me. This is probably a dream anyways, I'll wake up in Central or Risembool without you," she spoke softly, not letting any of her own tears slip out. Carlton pulled away from her in bewilderment, checking her forehead for a temperature, "Risembool? Central? What are those? You seemed fine when you woke up but maybe I shouldn't have caused such a fuss…" Carlina tilted her head and went to open her mouth, cut off as the pain returned in her ribs. She groaned and clutched her ribs, closing her eyes and slipping back into the dark.

* * *

The molasses feeling had returned again, this time the pinkette fought harder against the sinking feeling. She thought of Carlton's eyes when she had mentioned their old home town, his old headquarters, the confusion she had seen. This drove her to continue fighting, needing the answers he was about to give her before she passed out. Carlina clung to his voice and the feeling of his lips against her skin, four years she longed to see her siblings and the time had finally come. The weight on her chest had lifted, replaced by things grasping and holding down all four of her limbs. She panicked, remembering the small black creatures from inside the gate, the ones that stole her left arm.

Her eyes flew open and she immediately knew things had changed. The strange light on the ceiling was gone, replaced by faint shadows of fading daylight coming from the single window on the right wall. Carlina was breathing heavily, looking at her limbs to find the source of the weight.

Ed was standing next to the right side of her bed, his left hand laced in hers with his right pushing her down into the mattress by the shoulder. Al held her left shoulder to the bed as he stood to her left, Hughes and Havoc anchoring her knees and ankles from the foot of the bed. All four men looked disheveled and surprised. Havoc was the first to release the pressure on her leg, the other three following suit. Ed's cheeks flushed as he took his hand out of hers, Carlina ignoring the implications as her eyes burned into Jean's.

"Where's Carlton," she tried to speak firmly, her voice wavering when she said her brother's name. She took a few seconds to look around the room, beige walls with wood floors and paneling on the bottom half of the walls. The bed she was in was flimsy and much more simple than the one she had been in before, her hospital gown a light green piece of cloth tied together in the front.

Havoc looked as though she had slapped him, his eyes bugged out of his head. "What are you talking about, a week ago you told me he was dead," he spoke as though talking to a small child. Carlina bit down on her bottom lip, guilt welling up in her chest from having ripped open the fresh wound of her family's death. "He, was here. Next to me. He said I left them, that I was gone for a while. Carlton had this small glass device, metal too, and he was talking into it. He held me and kissed my forehead and told me not to leave, but I felt it," she protested, sitting up off the bed and wincing as pain blossomed in the spot just below her left breast.

"Careful, the doctor said your ribs will still take a few weeks to heal even though they set it," Al chastised, forcing her to turn and look at him. She raised her left arm to place it on his armored shoulder, freezing at the automail she saw.

Lifting the arm in front of her face, she lifted her right hand and touched it against the cold metal. She shuddered and watched as the automail responded to all her commands, dropping both her hands unto the sheets over her lap. "Ed, you made sure she didn't hit her head on the fall, right," Hughes teased, flinching at the glare the older Elric shot him from the implication. "Of course I protected her head! What do you think I am, useless? From what Winry said on the phone, she sometimes gets disoriented after this happens. I guess a vivid dream of her brother was part of it this time," he said, looking startled as tears glistened in Carlina's eyes.

"I know he was there. It was real. You can chalk this up as my imagination, but nothing you say will change the truth," she cleared her dry throat, her voice hoarse after not using it in a few days. Al passed her a glass of water and she drank heartily.

"Did your friend Winry tell you anything else useful," Hughes asked, looking at Carlina in concern. "She said this happens when Carlina pushes herself too hard. Her alchemy reacts with her automail and shocks her into a coma. Winry seemed confused until we told her about the four fractured ribs, turns out if Carlina has a serious enough injury or illness her body can't keep up fighting off the effects and dishing out powerful alchemy at the same time. As long as we make sure she rests and doesn't get too injured, she'll be fine-," "-you're done here, Ed," Havoc cut him off, causing all eyes to turn on him.

"Havoc, you can't speak for the woman, she has to make her own choices," Mustang reprimanded his subordinate as he and Riza walked into the room. "Sir, with all due respect, she should stay here with us. She lost one family and with her hallucinations of Carlton she obviously needs some structure in her life," Havoc continued, his fists clenched and shaking.

Carlina finished drinking, propping her pillows against the headboard and sitting with her back against them, looking over the scene unfolding before her, "Can everyone slow down long enough to tell me where I am? And how long it's been? Havoc said a week since I addressed the group but it only feels like a couple of days to me!" Ed sat back down in the chair by the head of her bedside, his arm laying on the mattress next to hers. "You've been out for a little under a week, Lina. Once they took you to the hospital in Central and reset your ribs, Mustang wanted to take you back to Eastern with him. Brother worried the train ride would hurt you though, and they fought, but finally they agreed and moved you. We've been in Eastern for about three days now," Al explained, Carlina nodding her head.

She looked back at her godparents, Hughes and Havoc with a confused expression. "Now that Al got that out-of-the-way, what kind of decision do I have to make?" "You have to choose whether you want to go into Military service, or travel like Fullmetal does," Riza responded, causing Carlina to grin.

"Well obviously, I choose travelling with Ed and Al! I don't know what I want to specialize in with my alchemy, going new places and seeing new things will help with that," she was enthusiastic, her face falling as she saw the stern look Ed was giving her. "No Carlina. You can't come with us, it can get dangerous and I'm sure everyone who knows you would kill us if anything happened to you-" "-a couple minutes ago you were talking about watching over me! And what about what you said when I finished my written exam, that you could use another capable hand? This is bullshit," she cut Ed off, glaring at one another with fists curled close together on the bed. "I'll make this easy for both of you, she goes with Fullmetal and Alphonse until she finds her specialty," Mustang said, smirking as Ed growled and Carlina grinned up at him.

Ed rose from his chair, looking Mustang in the eye, "I can't let you do that Colonel, you know she could get hurt! She's your god-daughter, don't you want her safe!?" "Are you implying you would fail at taking care of her, Fullmetal? It's already been decided, I signed the orders yesterday for her to go with you. I feel like this could be a learning experience for all," he taunted, smiling at his god-daughter before leaving the room with Riza and Havoc.

Hughes pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and put it in Carlina's automail hand. "The number for the house, try not to call too late or early for the sake of Elicia and Gracia. I want you to let me know if you need anything, even just an old man to talk to, I'm free when you need me," he ruffled her bangs and kissed her forehead, making her chest ache from Carlton's gestures as Maes left the room. Once the door shut behind him Ed sat, looking at the place Carlina's fractured ribs were. "Any pain? They said as long as you're here, they can give you medicine for it," he said, watching as she finished the last of the water and gave the glass to Al. He left the room with the glass, intending to find more water. "I'll be fine, how soon am I allowed to leave? After that, how soon can we leave Eastern to start on your mysterious adventure that could kill me," she teased, sticking her tongue out at Ed as he sighed.

"You can get discharged in the morning, we might be able to catch a train from here tomorrow night. If not, the day after tomorrow for sure," he said, blushing as she grabbed his human hand in hers. "Thanks for taking care of me and making sure I didn't hit my head." "Uh-sure. No problem." Ed's blush deepened, making Carlina tilt her head at him.

"What's the matter? You were holding my hand when I woke up." "That was different! You were struggling against us and we were all afraid you were going to hurt your ribs more. I thought some skin contact would maybe calm you down and I kinda forgot I was doing it by the time we all started restraining you," he protested, blinking as Carlina sighed and removed her hand from his. "Fine, I was just trying to thank you for helping me, but I guess this is a one way street. God forbid I hold your hand as a sign of gratitude or the big manly Ed will start melting into a puddle of blush," she exaggerated, her cheeks heating up as he held her hand with his again.

A couple of seconds of silence passed before Carlina blinked, looking confused, "Ed, you didn't have to hold my hand again you know, I was just teasing." "Shut up and sleep, you've been through a lot and I can tell this is helping somehow. Just don't expect it to happen again! I'm just proving I can do this without turning into the puddle of mush or whatever you called me," he retorted, looking back at her stubbornly. Carlina chuckled a little before adjusting the pillows so she could lay down normally on her right side facing the wall. Ed had his chin propped up on his automail hand, his elbow resting on the mattress next to their entwined hands. The stubborn expression on his face had softened a little, Carlina falling asleep while looking up at him.

* * *

**AN**: _Once again, feeling horrible this took so long but at least I had the update up before Thanksgiving! I got my wisdom teeth extracted a few weeks ago and this weekend I am getting a new laptop, so hopefully most of my busy days are behind me and the other updates will be quicker! Speaking of updates, Ed is failing miserably at trying to hide his feelings, but he's still trying! Carlina however, seems like she just enjoys watching him scramble to cover everything up ;D Thanks to __**Ed's Curious Kitten **__and __**Hetaliacrazed98**__ for reviewing the last chapter, it always makes me happy to read the reviews posted! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and let me know through a message or a review! Everything is always appreciated. Speaking of the story, next update we start diving into the real FMA storyline, wonder where they will head!? Thanks so much for reading everyone, happy holidays to all celebrating within the next week! _-Carrie.


	11. 10: Answers

**AN**: _The characters and concepts of FullMetal Alchemist belong to Hiromu Arakawa. This story revolves around the first anime of FullMetal Alchemist, not the manga. Do not flame because of that small difference, I've read the manga and seen the real anime that follows it, but the first anime is what captured my heart about FMA, so this story is tribute. Enjoy the story. The lyrics are "Dance Halls Turn To Ghost Towns" by The Audition, I do not own the lyrics to the song._ - Carrie.

* * *

_"Two hints lust, then I mix some charm with a dash of wits. _

_Add some good looks and then, close the door and dim the lights. _

_This will finally be the night, where the dictionary,_

_Chemical cookbook will finally hook you into me."_

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the window of the hospital room in Central, waking the girl who slept on her right side. Carlina rubbed the sand from her eyes and sat up slightly, a pain shot through her chest when she found the chair beside the bed empty. Her breathing deepened and quickened until she was hyperventilating, fearing he had left without her. She felt a heavy hand on her shoulder, turning to find Alphonse looking concerned. "Are you okay Lina?" The pinkette took a few moments to catch her breath before grinning at the suit of armor. She launched herself off the hospital bed, ignoring the pain in her ribs as she squeezed Al as tightly as she could.

"Lina," he asked, sounding bewildered as she pulled herself from him and sat on the edge of the bed. "Sorry Al, I was just relieved to see you were still here. I thought-" "-we had left without you? Seriously? After that shit Mustang pulled yesterday, he'd send half the military after us for leaving you behind," Ed teased as he entered the room, holding a bag that bulged slightly.

Her eyes widened as he set the bag down in front of her, feeling the weight sink into the mattress. She blinked up at him as he motioned for her to open it. The bag opened to show a spread of pastries and various breakfast foods. Carlina grinned before spreading the foods out on the sheet, tilting her head as Ed looked away from her. "What's the matter? Don't you want some," she asked before shoving a danish in her mouth. "I bought all of this for you," he said, flinching at the glare she shot him before swallowing the mouth full of pastry, "What's that look for? I figured you would be hungry and you need the nutrition!" "Are you trying to say I'm not healthy enough," she asked slowly, Ed blinking in response.

"No, you've got enough meat on your bones," he responded even slower, dodging the cinnamon roll she threw at him, "What was that for!?" "Are you trying to say I'm fat," she accused, catching him off guard and making him pause for a moment. "Wait-what," he asked, looking at her in time to get nailed in the forehead with a large cherry danish.

The pastry stuck to his skin for a few seconds before plopping to the ground, leaving a sticky red circle in the middle of his eyebrows. He used his finger to scrape some of the filling off, staring at it for a second before grinning at the girl on the bed. "You're so getting it now," he cried, diving unto the bed and smearing the cherry filling on her cheek. She grabbed a muffin out of the bag and smashed it into his face, laughing as he grabbed a handful of jam. She twisted to avoid him throwing the jam, getting hit in the collar and making a face as some went down her shirt. "It's on now," she hollered, Al cowering behind the chair he had sat in to avoid the food fight. Ten minutes passed before both the teens had various food bits clung to them, still wrestling among the scraps on the bed.

Carlina stuck a slice of bread to the cherry filling on Ed's forehead. He grabbed her by the wrists, both laughing as he pinned her back on the bed. Ed's knee slipped in a patch of jam on the sheets, causing his automail elbow to jab Carlina in the left side of her ribs. He instantly let go as she howled in pain, clutching the injured ribs and rolling unto her side on the bed.

Al poked up from behind the chair, glaring at Ed with a muffin stuck on the spike of his helmet. Ed shuffled away from her and off the bed, looking guilty as she finally calmed down. Carlina sat up on the bed, still clutching her ribs while a small smile curled on her lips. "I'm okay now-" "-I'm so sorry-" "Ed, it's okay. I'm fine now. We both got a little carried away, come here and give me a hug," she teased, sticking her tongue out at him before extending her arms. His eyebrow raised suspiciously before he walked to the bed, sitting in front of her and slipping his arms around her waist. She curled her arms around his neck, scraping off jelly from the back of his shirt and spreading it into his plait. Ed pulled away with a shocked look on his face.

Silence hung for a couple of seconds before the teens started laughing together, leaning on one another for support. Once they caught their breath, they pulled away with their faces only inches apart. Dark blushes spread across both sets of cheeks as the door to the room slammed open. They looked to find Mustang and Hawkeye gaping at the scene of the crime.

Riza looked amused to find the teens covered in food and wrapped in one another's arms, while Roy looked ready to murder Ed for his arms around Carlina's waist. Both young alchemists broke apart, the dark look still in Roy's eyes every time he looked at Ed. "Well, we were just coming by to give you this," Mustang spoke, crossing the room to press a black box into Carlina's hands, "But now that we walked in on _this_, maybe I should reconsider the travelling arrangements we drew up?" Before anyone could respond, Riza grabbed Roy by his ear and tugged him toward the door. "No sir, we already filed the paperwork, and once you calm down you won't want to revoke the papers anymore. You still have a pile of forms on your desk to finish, time to get to work," she lectured him, dragging him out of the room.

Carlina looked at Ed and Al for a couple of moments before opening the black box in her hands. The first thing she noticed was the piece of paper folded into the lid. She used the underside of her pillowcase to wipe off her hands before she removed it and began reading it out loud, "This official document certifies that the nation of Amestris, prefecture of the Generalissimo appoints the name _Electric Alchemist_ to _Carlina Evangèline Joihanson_ in the name of Fuhrer King Bradley."

She was about to read on before Al leapt from behind the chair, sweeping her off the bed and into a bearhug in one fell swoop. "You're official now, that's great," he praised, putting on her feet as she peered into the black box. The inside lined with blue silk, and sitting in the center was a State Alchemist pocket watch. Her face lit up as she looked at it, extending her fingers and brushing them against the cold metal. Shivers ran down her spine as she turned her grin to both the brothers. "Guys, I can't thank you enough, without you I wouldn't have been able to do this." Ed grinned and clapped her on the back, peering over her shoulder at the watch in the box, "Anytime. Now, let's get you discharged and cleaned up so we can head out of here."

* * *

Later that day, the three teens stepped off the train at an abandoned looking station. Rolling green hills surrounded the area with only dirt roads. Carlina's hair was french braided diagonally from her left temple to behind her right ear, then pulled into a ponytail at the base of her neck. She wore the yellow cloak again with a white tank. Her black pants tucked into her knee-high boots with the chain of her watch hanging from her right front pocket.

Both alchemists still had wet hair from showering to remove the aftermath of the food fight, Alphonse's armor polished to remove the food stuck from hugging Carlina. Ed held the piece of paper with directions toward the small town, standing in the middle as the three trudged down the dirt road. The trio occasionally bickered over the directions written on the piece of paper. They turned right at a 'T' intersection in the road and continued on toward what appeared as a small town. Ed and Al spoke to most of the people they stopped, Carlina zoning out for most of the conversations. She heard the townspeople talking about their doctor, Master Maro, wondering what the Elric brothers wanted with a doctor.

Her interest was only piqued when they spoke to a father and daughter in their field, the little girl mentioning she was healed by a flash of light. _Alchemy_, she questioned in her head, retreating back into her own little world as the brothers spoke about the man they were searching for. Ed grabbed her by the elbow as he pushed Al into a nearby hay pile, taking her with them.

"What," Al asked as Ed pushed his head back into the hay, "Al!" "This is a bad idea, I'm filling up with straw," the younger Elric whined, earning a sympathetic look from Carlina when his brother shushed him. Armstrong came into view on the road, taking his hat off and looking around. "Who's that," Al asked, sounding confused. "A State Alchemist, I recognize him from HQ when he came in with the Führer, wasn't he also one of the ones in the room that received something from your parents," Ed explained, looking to Carlina for confirmation. "Yes, but why is he here? Did Mustang order him to follow us," she asked, both brothers shrugging their shoulders in reply. "The Colonel said he's never reported Marcoh's whereabouts to Central Command," Ed responded, dragging Carlina out of the hay once Armstrong was out of sight. Both teens dusted the hay off their clothes, plucking pieces out of one another's hair. "C'mon Al, we better go straight to Marcoh's from here," Ed called as Al popped out of the hay stack, the name ringing familiar to the female alchemist as a pit settled in her stomach.

They arrived at a two-story stone cottage set a little further away from the other buildings, walking up the stairs so Ed could knock on the door. A man with salt n' pepper hair opened, the face familiar to Carlina as the Elrics explained that two of them were State Alchemists. The kind smile on the man's face vanished as he whipped out a pistol, all three teens narrowly missing the shots fired at them.

"Easy there Doc, we don't want any trouble. We're-" "-I know what you want, you said you two are State Alchemists! You think you can take me back there," the man Carlina presumed was Marcoh cut Ed off. "You are Dr. Marcoh, the Crystal Alchemist, is that really true," Al asked, the name causing more deep memories to stir in the girl's head. "No, no more questions or orders, I couldn't bear it going back to that place-" "-that's not it, listen," Ed requested, all three teens with their hands above their heads as Al began to stand. "Put the gun down, please," Al asked quietly as Marcoh spoke, "Or have you come to, silence me? Think you can kill me? Well I don't have to just let that happen!"

The Doctor's eyes widened as Al stood to his full height in front of him, shielding Ed and Carlina from the barrel of the gun. "It's all okay. Shoot if you want, but I won't die. You're the only one who might get hurt," Al cautioned, bumping the breastplate of his armor against the gun so the hollow sound could be heard echoing within. Marcoh lowered the gun after a small gasp, "I see. You're him, you're the Fullmetal Alchemist."

"No! For the hundredth time, that name belongs to me! And she's the Electric Alchemist," Ed exclaimed, shoving Al aside and gesturing over his shoulder at Carlina. "So I deserted the battlefield, I left and stole all the research I compiled at the time. Their books, my notes. I have a hunch the military's still looking for me so they can see what I found out," Marcoh spoke a few minutes later, Ed and Carlina sitting across the table from him as Alphonse sat on the bed. "That's it! Why he sent us, we're researching Human Transmutation," Ed spoke in excitement, standing with his hands planted on the tabletop. "Forget it, I can't show you my work. The audience from above not-withstanding, I dirtied my hands with that research. Then the military, they put it to use on those people...In that Eastern rebellion massacre," the doctor cradled his head in his hands in the end, Carlina slowly rising to her feet next to Ed.

"You mean the uprising in Ishbal," she asked softly, shrugging off her cloak as Ed asked Marcoh, "That _is_ what you're talking about, right?" "Armageddon, that's the only word that fits that battle," Marcoh answered, taking a deep breath before continuing on, "Women, children, it didn't matter. Everyone was killed, and there wasn't any real reason. All they said was the people of Ishbal defied them, spoke out against the system...What I was responsible for, I could never make up, even taking my life would be a token gesture!"

He paused as if building tension before he quietly spoke the rest, "So I decided to vanish and become a doctor, help people and slowly work off some fraction of the debt...Now get out." "I'm a ranking State Alchemist, I have a right to that research and anything else you know," Ed declared, slamming his hands on the table for emphasis. "You're way too small for these concerns," Marcoh said, ignoring Al holding Ed back from the mention of the word 'small' as he continued, "I bet you were blinded by the abundant privileges, access to records and prestige. So you joined their ranks, both of you, a foolish mistake. If you had been there during the rebellion, you'd feel the same way." Carlina threw her cloak on the table with the embroidered insignia up, Dr. Marcoh running a hand over it in wonder as Ed spoke, "I know that. I know what we're doing is stupid, okay? It's not your problem!"

A few tense moments of silence passed, Marcoh continuing to look at the insignia on the back of Carlina's jacket as Ed opened his mouth to speak. "Dr. Marcoh, about five years ago, you treated some babies at Xenotime. I just wanted you to know they're fine now, the red water's gone," Al spoke, Marcoh's gaze shifting from the insignia of the jacket to the wall on his right for a fraction of a second.

"Brother, what are you doing," Al asked as Marcoh rose from his chair, everyone watching Ed tapping on the wall. "Guesswork," he replied, clapping his hands together and touching the wall to show a hole with a cabinet inside. "Don't need circles," Marcoh mused, his eyes widening as Ed reached into the hole and grabbed something, holding it up to the light. "Is this the red water from Xenotime? No, it looks a lot clearer," he mused to himself, as the trio by the table rushed behind him. "Stop," Marcoh called as Al grabbed Ed under the arms and pulled him from the wall. The brothers struggled for a few moments before the flask went flying, Carlina dove to catch it but missed by inches as it shattered on the floor.

"It's not really a liquid," Ed knelt next to Carlina, helping her into a sitting position as Al continued, "No it's not...It looks more like the ring the Priest in Liore had…" "You, Joihanson girl, you have to keep them from that substance, no more can suffer the way the Ishbalans did. Surely you know what your parents and sisters went through in the battle," Marcoh pleaded, causing Carlina to go rigid as he tossed her cloak to her.

"You, you did know my family? You mentioned the rebellion and I figured if you had, you would recognize our family crest," she spoke in wonder, her thoughts cut off once her cloak was on and the front door burst open. "The Sage's Stone, The Celestial Stone, The Great Elixir, The Red Teacher, The Next Element. Did you really think a substance of so many names would be limited to just the form of a stone," a large tanned man drawled, strolling over to pick the oval-shaped red stone off the floor. "Brigadier Grand," Ed spoke, Carlina's eyes narrowing at the piece of stone-like material he clutched between his fingertips. "Brigadier, Basque? Well, you've wormed your way up," Marcoh spoke, chills flooding Carlina's spine from the tone the older man used to discuss the military personnel by his first name. "You're damn right, Crystal Alchemist. And now you'll turn the Philosopher's Stone and your research over to me," Grand spoke, Carlina covering her mouth with her hand and her eyes widening as she realized what the Elric brothers were after on their adventure.

* * *

**AN**: _Now we've finally jumped in to the FMA canon storyline! Is anyone really that surprised Marcoh knew the Joihansons? Turns out our girl is surprised her boys were searching for the stone! Thanks to __**Ed's Curious Kitten**__ for reviewing the last chapter, I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. For all readers celebrating other holidays, I hope your holidays went well too! This chapter dragged on, but I hope you all enjoyed. Hoping to have the next update up before Christmas! Have wonderful days everyone! _-Carrie.


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